The Ocean's Cherry Blossom
by xXxLoveisPoetryXxX
Summary: Sasuke comes from the prestigious Uchiha clan, who killed all the leaders of Konoha in several coup d'etats, and currently holds Konoha in its control, leaving the citizens in constant fear. Full summary inside. SasuSaku, NaruHina,NejiTen,ShikaIno & more.
1. The Beginning of the End

Summary: Sasuke comes from the prestigious Uchiha clan, who killed all the leaders of Konoha in several coup d'etats, and currently holds Konoha in its control, leaving the citizens in constant fear. Sakura comes from a band of misfit kids from Konoha, and will do anything to save her village from the Uchiha. Both live their lives on the high seas, and they both have a similar goal: To kill the other. But when they meet, everything changes. And when their relationship is discovered, they must decide to stay together, or go their separate ways.

A/N: Well, this is my second fan-fic and I'm really hoping you all like it! It's kind of like a Romeo and Juliet relationship in a sense, with hilarious mischief from the Naruto gang, Daring rescues, Romance galore, and a fight to save Konoha from the grip of Madara Uchiha. I think it's really good, so I just hope you all agree with me! Anyway, without further a due, chapter one! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 1: The beginning of the end.

Neutral POV

"Wh-Who are you?" A small pink haired girl asked. "I am Tsunade, pirate queen of the high seas." The woman said, staring down at her. The girls' eyes widened in fear, and she scooted closer to her mom. "Please Tsunade-sama… ever since Uchiha Madara attacked our village, we can't afford to care for her anymore." A tall, pink haired woman said in sad undertones. She had spring green eyes that were filled with sorrow, as she kept her hand on her daughters' shoulder. "I shall care for her like she was my own daughter." Tsunade assured the woman. "Mommy? Where are you going?" the small girl cried, grabbing onto her mothers hand. "No sweet heart, you must stay. I… I'm sorry. I love you." The woman said, hugging and kissing her daughter, as a single tear streamed down her cheek. "Mommy, don't leave me!" the little girl screamed, tears pouring from her own spring green eyes. Tsunade, who had watched the sad goodbye, knelt down and pushed the Childs' pink strands out of her face. "What is your name child?" she asked, her kind honey brown eyes taking the small girl in. "Sakura… Haruno Sakura." She replied. And that was all Sakura remembered.

It had been nine years since that day, and Sakura was now freshly sixteen. She stood near the rail of the ship, and stared at the moons' reflection on the water. Tomorrow, she knew, was her actual birthday, but she decided that since it was midnight, it probably counted. "Sakura?..." Naruto asked from behind her. Sakura turned around, startled. She hadn't expected anyone to be awake at this hour. "Oh, hey Naruto…" she said, smiling at her blonde haired, blue eyed companion. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked, walking over and leaning on the rail beside her.

"I could ask you the same question." She said, letting out a laugh. "Seriously Sakura, what's up?" he asked, turning to face her. "Oh, nothing… just anxious I guess." She said, smiling up at the sky. "Oh yeah… tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it?" he said, stating the obvious. The upper corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a crooked smile. She nodded, her own smile growing as she stared at the star-lit sky. "I heard Tsunade baa-Chan saying we might go to town tomorrow though." Naruto said, his goofy grin becoming a hard line. "Yeah… Uchiha Madara's causing trouble again." Sakura sighed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him clenching his fists. "Those bastards all work with Akatsuki too…" he growled. Sakura nodded, turning her attention back to the sky.

The Uchiha were all enemies. They had killed all of the leaders of Konoha, everyone on the ships' hometown. Even the Uchiha originated from Konoha, though they had broken their ties with the village a long time ago. "Look at it this way Naruto. If we don't have to deal with any of them tomorrow, we can celebrate my birthday in town." Sakura said, smiling at her fox-like friend. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He said, grin returning. "DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!" came Tsunade's voice as her cabin door burst open. A tall dark figure jumped on the top of the mast as Tsunade ran out of her cabin, blonde hair blowing in the breeze. "Tsunade-Sama! Who is that?" Sakura asked, peering up at the figure on the mast.

The figures eyes shone with the Sharingan in the darkness, glaring right at Sakura. "An Uchiha." Tsunade growled. "Hn." replied the figure on the mast. "Uchiha Sasuke, to be exact." she spat, like his name left a bad taste in her mouth. Sakura stared at the brooding form, amazed that an Uchiha had managed to get past both her and Naruto. "You bastard!" Naruto growled, unsheathing his katana. He ran up the mast with chakra enhanced feet and swung at the boy, but he was too fast and easily jumped off the mast and onto the deck. The moonlight revealed him, and Sakura was caught off guard.

He had short black hair that spiked in the back, and framed his face perfectly, complimenting his onyx eyes, which were currently fixated on her. Sakura felt her cheeks starting to burn, before shaking her head, scolding herself for feeling that way. 'He's the enemy. An Uchiha.' She thought, glaring at him. She unsheathed her own katana and ran at him, prepared to swing, before he disappeared before her eyes. "What the? Where did he go?" she asked, confused by his disappearance. "He… He vanished." Naruto exclaimed. Tsunade sighed and walked towards her cabin, before stopping. "You two get to sleep. We're stopping in Konoha tomorrow." She then opened her door, walked in, and shut it with a dull thud.

"She's right… We should get some sleep." Sakura sighed, pushing her short pink hair out of her face and re-sheathing her weapon. "I guess… Night Sakura." Naruto waved, before leaving. Sakura smiled to herself, walking back to her cabin. As she walked though, she couldn't get that boy out of her head. "Uchiha…Sasuke." She said slowly, letting each syllable drip slowly off her tongue. 'He almost looked like an angel in the moonlight.' She thought, as she entered her room. She shook her head though, in disbelief. "He is the enemy." She told herself sternly.

And with that in mind, she changed out of her clothes and into a white, long sleeved nightgown. She then plopped down on her bed, pulled the covers over her, and laid her head on her pillow. "Happy Birthday." She murmured to herself. And then she drifted off, letting the rocking of the ship lull her to sleep.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter, we get to look into the rest of Sasuke's night, and.. an over zealous blonde, a makeover, and birthday plans? I would like some reviews please, to let me know that it's liked well enough to continue... plus, reviews just make me super happy! So, until next time! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	2. A Plot, A Plan, And A Birthday

A/N: Hi guys! Wow, I am sooooo sorry! I have been very distracted by school that I completely forgot about this story! Agh! But today I remembered, so I'm uploading this chapter! Again I'm really sorry, and by the way… THANK YOU to those who reviewed! I was very happy! :) So, without further a due… Chapter 2!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 2: A plot, a Plan, and A Birthday

Sasuke's POV

"Sasuke-kun. I assume the message was delivered?" Madara asked from behind his desk. "Hn. What do you think?" I growled. "Now, now, no need for a temper, Sasuke-kun." Madara said, placing his hands up defensively. "I just want to make sure Tsunade got our little message." He said, a sinister smirk plastered on his face. "Whatever." I said lowly, turning on my heel, and walking away. "Sasuke. We aren't finished." He said sternly. I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. "What?" I spat, glaring at him. "Tell Itachi to come here. We need to make plans for our special guests tomorrow." He said in a sickly sweet tone. I then turned back around and walked out of the cabin, going down the hallway to Itachi's cabin.

I knocked twice before entering, and saw him reading on his bed. "He wants to see you." I said, annoyed by having to relay the message. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." He said, glancing up at me from his book. I nodded before leaving, walking back to my cabin. Conveniently, my cabin was only a short distance away from Itachi's, so I didn't have a long way to walk. As I walked though, I couldn't get that girl out of my head, only further increasing my annoyance. Her spring green eyes, her short, petal pink hair, her porcelain skin… Everything about her. "Annoying." I growled as I opened the door to my cabin. I shut the door behind me before removing my white flannel shirt and making my way over to my bed. There, I sat and ran my fingers through my hair frustratedly. "She is the enemy." I said to myself before lying down and dragging the covers over my head. Then, I let the sound of the waves fill my ears, before dozing off.

Neutral POV

Sakura awoke the next morning to seagulls chirping and the waves crashing against the boat. "SAAAKKUURAA!" Came a loud shrill voice from behind her door. "Come in, Ino." Sakura murmured, smiling. No sooner had she uttered those words, the door burst open, and the bubblegum blue eyed girl entered, before shutting the door behind her. "Happy Birthday!" Ino squealed excitedly. "Thanks." Sakura laughed, smiling at her. "Ok, spill. What the heck happened last night?" Ino asked plopping down on the bed next to her. Ino had her long blonde hair up in a high ponytail, and wore a dark purple dress that fell at her knees, with a black belt around it that held her sword. "What do you mean?" Sakura asked blankly. "The Uchiha! What happened?" she asked impatiently. "Oh… well, I don't really know myself, to be honest. All I know is that he somehow managed to get on the ship, and then vanished without a trace." Sakura explained, frowning.

"I see…" Ino replied disappointedly. "Well, what do you think he came for?" she asked, excitement returning. "Who knows…" Sakura yawned with a shrug. The boy's face once again flashed in her mind's eye, and she shook her head. "…Was it Madara?" Ino whispered tensely. "No, no… it definitely wasn't him. He looked our age…" Sakura said distantly, still trying to shake his face from her memory. "Ooooh, what did he look like?" Ino cooed, fear melting away. "Ino he's the enemy! Besides, you have Shikamaru-kun." Sakura scolded. "I know… I was just curious… geez." Ino laughed. Sakura giggled as well before pushing the covers off of her and stood up on the bed before jumping up and down on the bed. "Sakura-Chan!" Ino laughed, before joining in with her best friend. After awhile they both sat back down and laughed, until Ino stood from the bed.

"All right, what are you going to wear?" she said seriously, putting a hand on her hip for emphasis. "What do you mean?" Sakura asked, puzzled by the mood swing. "For your birthday!" the blonde yelled. "Oh! Right… I had something in mind…" Sakura mumbled, getting up and going over to her closet. After a bit of rummaging, she finally found what she was looking for, and pulled it out for Ino to see. "Wow! That dress is beautiful Sakura-Chan!" Ino squealed delightedly. In Sakura's hands was a long-sleeved peach colored ball-gown, with a corset that had pink ribbons interlaced inside it, and straight down the middle of the skirt was the same color pink. Under the dress and on the edges of the sleeves, was fine white lace. Sakura gently touched the lace on one of the sleeves before setting it down on the bed.

"Where in the world did you get that dress?" Ino breathed in awe. "Tsunade-Sama gave it to me. She said it was only for my birthday." Sakura grinned. "You know billboard brow, I think you'll look more like a lady than a pirate in that thing." Ino teased, using Sakura's childhood nickname. "Jealous much, Ino pig?" Sakura taunted back. Ino laughed before throwing a nearby pillow at her. "So did she give you anything else?" she asked, still examining the dress. "Shoes." The pinkette replied with another tired yawn. "…WHAT? Are you kidding me? Grab your dress and shoes, you're coming with me." Ino commanded. Sakura did as she was told, and before she could object, Ino dragged her out of the room and down a long row of cabins.

"Where are you going? This isn't the way to your cabin..." Sakura started. "I know. I'm getting reinforcements." The blonde replied, not giving Sakura a backwards glance. Finally, Ino stopped and knocked on the door in front of her. After a couple of minutes, Neji opened the door. "Neji-Kun? What are you doing in Hinata-Chan's room?" Ino asked. "I'm about to start Hinata-Sama's lessons for the day." Neji said, staring between the two girls. "Neji-Nii San, W-Who's at the door?" Hinata called from within the room. "Neji, can't you teach her some other time? It's an emergency!" Ino pleaded. "Define Emergency." He said with a smirk. "So is that a yes?" Ino grinned. Neji sighed, before pushing the door open further for Hinata. "I suppose since its Sakura-Chan's birthday… you can have a break today Hinata-Sama." Neji said, giving a fond smile to his cousin. "T-Thank you, Neji." She said sheepishly, before Ino grabbed her hand and started to drag her as well. "Happy Birthday, Sakura-Chan." Neji called out. "Thank you, Neji-Kun!" And then she disappeared behind the corner.

"Now where are we going?" Sakura asked, blowing a stray strand of her petal pink hair out of her face. Instead of answering though, Ino stopped in front of another door and knocked. "Coming!" Ten-Ten called. Ino knocked again. "I said I'm coming!" She called, her footsteps approaching the door. A moment later, TenTen opened the door, finishing putting her hair in its signature double bun style. "Lee you're so… Oh, it's you. What's up guys? Happy Birthday by the way Sakura-Chan." TenTen said peering around Ino to wave at her pink haired friend. Sakura nodded her thanks as Ino started to speak. "We're all going to help Sakura get ready for her birthday! It's our duty as her friends to make sure she is presentable on an important occasion such as this." Ino said dramatically, grinning at all of them.

Hinata and Sakura giggled as TenTen joined in on the Charade. "If you say so, Ino-San. We MUST prepare her for this most important day." She declared with a laugh. "Great! Now come on guys!" Ino yelled, leading the way to her cabin. As they all followed, they conversed and giggled, except for Sakura. She still had not been able to get that boy's face out of her mind. It was his eyes. His onyx eyes… they were so intense… so… passionate almost. "Sakura? Are you okay?" Ino asked, stopping to face her. "Huh? Yeah, why?" Sakura answered, confused. Surely her face had not revealed any sign of trouble. She was a master at hiding her emotions. "Nothing I guess, it's just, you seem kinda quiet today." Ino replied, before turning her attention to her cabin door. "Let's begin." She said, opening the door. And then the Chaos began.

A/N: Well, there you go guys! Again, super sorry it took this long, but I am back in business, so expect for there to be an upload by this Friday, or maybe Monday! Please review though, because I do enjoy getting those... it lets me know that you have something to say about my story, and that i'm not writing it for nothing! Ok, next time... DUN, DUN, DUN! Sasuke and Itachi are sent on a mission to talk with a certain red-head, and... A MAKEOVER! AGH! The girls all help to get Sakura dolled up for the evening.. that will be interesting. So.. if you wanna see what happen's, make sure you keep up with the story! TTFN! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	3. Meetings and Makeovers

A/N: Hi Guys! So, as promised, here is chapter 3! AGH! WARNING: There is a lot of girlyness in this chapter. I know, I know, but, don't worry… chapter 4 is coming soon and that chapter will be a lot less girly, Lol XD All right, enough babble, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 3: Meetings and Makeovers

Sasuke's POV

"Come in." I said, as footsteps stopped in front of my door. "Such keen ears, Sasuke-kun." Itachi said as he opened the door. I didn't turn to face him as he shut the door behind him. "What is it?" I asked, slowly opening my eyes to the bright sunshine pouring in from the porthole in the room. "We're going into town today, remember?" he asked coolly. I growled, annoyed. "You did remember, didn't you?" Itachi asked again. I could vividly picture the smirk on his face, which only further annoyed me. I sat up in bed and glared at him. My guess was confirmed by his smirk spreading. "Now Sasuke-kun, is that any way to look at your Nii-san?" he questioned, smirk still in place.

I rolled my eyes before getting out of bed and walking over to the closet, opening it. After scanning it over, I pulled out a long sleeved black flannel shirt and pulled it on. I then turned around, only to be flicked in the forehead by my brother himself. He chuckled lightly as I rubbed my forehead in annoyance. "Come now Sasuke, grab your sword and let's go. I want to be done with this as soon as possible." He said, opening the door. I grabbed my sword and sheathed it, before stepping out of the room. "Let's go." I said, walking down the long hallway. I too wanted to be done with Karin as soon as possible.

Neutral POV

As the girls entered Ino's room, Ino started barking out orders to TenTen and Hinata to get the necessary "supplies" "All right Sakura, now I know we're going into to town, but I don't care. Shikamaru-kun told me that it's highly unlikely we'll be running into the Uchiha today after last night's fiasco. He said they'll probably be laying low today so…You are going to wear that dress, and we are going to celebrate your birthday in town, and there will be no objections. Got it?" She asked, finality in her tone. Sakura could only laugh and nod from where she stood, as TenTen and Hinata scrambled around her to get everything Ino demanded of them. Finally, they sat Sakura down in front of Ino's vanity, gathered around her in almost a huddle formation.

"How should we do her hair?..." Hinata asked quietly. "Maybe up?" TenTen offered, as she made a quick example by pulling Sakura's hair into a makeshift princess bun. "Mm…Nah. It makes her forehead look WAY too big." Ino mumbled, taking the bun down. "P-perhaps we should leave it how it is?" Hinata spoke up, as she brushed Sakura's hair out. "I agree, but maybe I should add a little something…" Ino said, rummaging through the vanity drawers. "No, no, I think this is fine Ino." Sakura interjected before Ino could find some ridiculous tiara. "Oh fine. Let's start the makeup then!" She announced, quickly putting the tiara away.

Ino then pulled out a big box and threw it on the bed, before calling out orders and handing out makeup. "Here Hinata, you do her eyes, TenTen, you do the rest of her face, But I will do her lips." And they all lined up in single file order. Hinata used light shades of brown and pink on her friend's eyes as well as a small bit of mascara. "Wow Hinata, that's really good." TenTen perked up. "Thank you. I thought that, these colors would look nice with, her dress." She murmured. Then TenTen took over and made up the rest of her face, before Ino finished it off. "Now THAT is awesome." Ino giggled, admiring all of their work. The other girls nodded in agreement before helping Sakura get into her dress. "Hinata, tie those laces tighter!" Ino yelled from her closet. "Not too tight! I don't want to suffocate!" Sakura interrupted.

As soon as Hinata finished tying her corset, she stepped away. "There, finally done." She announced happily, before joining the other girls to admire all the work they had done. "Now presenting, Haruno Sakura, the prettiest birthday girl with a big forehead." Ino beamed, as she pushed Sakura in front of a mirror. "I don't even recognize myself." The pinkette murmured, twirling around in front of the mirror. "I know. You could pass for royalty." Ino giggled. "You do look quite pretty, Sakura-chan." Hinata said, smiling kindly at her friend. Sakura hugged her. "Thanks Hinata. And thank you all for helping me get ready." She said, hugging each of them.

"It's no trouble. I mean, what are friends for?" TenTen said, grinning. "All right, you two go get ready now! And meet us on the deck!" Ino ordered. TenTen and Hinata nodded before leaving the room, leaving the two childhood friends behind. "And you are coming with me. We have to go see Tsunade-Sama." Ino said, grabbing Sakura's hand and leaving the room. "Why do we have to go see Tsunade-Sama?" Sakura asked confusedly. "Cause, we have to make sure it's ok with her that we celebrate in town tonight!" The blonde explained, walking quickly down the hall. Sakura sighed and shook her head, before matching Ino's pace. Leave it to Ino to come up with a last minute party plan.

A/N: All right! I hope you all liked this chapter, and I hope ya'll review! Again, sorry for the girlyness but, it was kind of necessary to explain the bonding and what not. Ok! Next chapter, we go into the lair of the beast… that's right… the infamous… KARIN! AGH! What exactly are our two favorite Uchiha's doing there anyway? Also, we look back into the Uchiha's past, and the dark memories that lay there. And, the Konoha gang heads for shore! We look into their past as well and… a secret plot is revealed? Well, if you want to find out all this stuff and more, you're just going to have to wait for chapter 4! It will probably be published by again Friday, or Monday. Till next time! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	4. Secrets and the Past

A/N: Well, hello again guys! I've been loving all the reviews I've been getting, so keep it up! I decided to post today as a treat for the people who have been reviewing, so I hope I get some more reviews this chapter! Anyway, without further babble from me… Chapter 4!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 4: Secrets and the Past

Sasuke's POV

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! Itachi-kun!" Karin giggled, removing her glasses. I rolled my eyes at the sound of her voice. "What can I, uh… do for you boys?" She asked, smoothing out her dark green, long sleeved dress. "Madara-Sama requires your services." I said, staring at her with disdain. Karin had extremely bright red hair, hazel brown eyes, hidden behind her glasses most of the time, and an extremely annoying personality. She rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated. "Again?" she groaned, placing one of her hands on her hips. "You will be fairly compensated in return for your services." Itachi said reassuringly.

"Fine, fine. Who do I need to keep an eye on now?" she asked briskly, cleaning her glasses and replacing them on her face. "Konoha." I growled, the name bring the girl from last night's face back to my memory. "Surprise, surprise." She said disdainfully. She continued to speak with Itachi, but I drowned her out, focusing on last night instead. 'Why can't I get her out of my head?' I thought to myself, frustrated. I had no priorities other then to eliminate Konoha resistance. Konoha rebellions had killed my parents, and until every last one was dead, I vowed, I would not rest.

And yet, even though I knew she was the enemy, I still could not get her face out of my mind. I growled in annoyance at the inner-chaos within my mind, causing Karin to stare at me and giggle obnoxiously. "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong? Something on your mind?" She asked, draping her arms around my neck. I rolled my eyes and pushed her away. "Don't stand so close to me." I growled. "What's the matter? Nervous around girls?" she asked, a smirk slowly spreading across her face. I simply rolled my eyes and ignored her though, as Itachi finished talking with her. "We're done here. Let's go." I said, promptly opening the door and stepping outside. I stared up at the late afternoon sun, as I waited for Itachi.

"Someone's in a hurry I see." Itachi murmured, smirking. "You know I can't stand her." I said as we walked down the porch steps. Karin's house was on one of the main streets of Konoha, somewhat close to the harbor, where our ship was docked. Itachi laughed quietly to himself as we walked down the streets, now crowded with people. I noticed how some of the people stared at us in fear and anticipation, before going back to what they had been doing. "Look, Sasuke-kun. There's the Uchiha manor." Itachi said, stopping in front of the large estate. I too stopped and looked at it, memories of my childhood rushing to greet me.

I could suddenly picture Itachi and I playing out in the front yard while my mother tended to her garden. I could picture my father praising her on how wonderful her cooking was. I could even picture the tomatoes she tended to that were my favorite, and how she always gave me one as a snack, and sometimes after dinner. That was when my memories turned darker, and I pictured their dead bodies in their bedroom. Slash-marks across their throats, and stab wounds from battle leaked crimson blood onto the wood floor. I quickly shook my head, wanting to vanquish those memories. "I remember." I said flatly.

Itachi stared at the house too, with a distant look in his eyes, and I wondered if the same memories haunted him as well. Finally he sighed, before continuing to walk down the road, and I followed him quietly. "Sasuke-kun, let's stop in here for a moment. Madara won't be needing us for awhile anyway." He said as we stopped in front of a tavern. "Besides, I could use some dumplings." He stated, before walking inside. I looked at the sun, which was now setting in the west, and stared for a moment, before following him inside.

Sakura's POV

"Please Tsunade-Sama? I mean, it is her birthday, and even Shikamaru-kun it was unlikely that we'd run into them!" Ino begged for the fifth time. I could tell that Tsunade-Sama was getting annoyed, and I almost wanted to cover Ino's mouth and drag her away, until Tsunade-Sama spoke again. "Fine Ino. Since you are so set on this, I will agree. You both may go now. But first, Sakura, this is for you. I meant to give it to you earlier, but I forgot." She said, holding out a golden locket. "Is that for me?" I asked, shock showing clearly in my voice.

She laughed before saying, "Of course it is. Go ahead, put it on." She insisted, smiling radiantly. I took the locket carefully, examining it thoroughly, and noticing that on the front of the locket, "S.H." was engraved in cursive, with intricate flowers engraved around it. "Tsunade-Sama, it's beautiful! T-Thank you!" I exclaimed happily. "You're welcome Sakura." She replied warmly. I then carefully put it on, and the light from the now setting sun glittered off the gold chain, making it sparkle. "Now, go out and have a good time, before I change my mind." She warned playfully. Ino and I then curtsied to her, before running out of her cabin and onto the deck, where we saw Hinata and TenTen waiting for us.

Hinata had changed into a full length, long sleeved white gown with a lavender corset. The dress looked spectacular on her, simple as it was, bringing out all her curves in all the right places, while the lavender corset brought out her soft white eyes. TenTen, who was chatting and laughing with her, had opted for a nice form fitting emerald green, long sleeved blouse, with white pants that hit at her knees and a pair of black sandals. "Hey you two!" Ino called out before pulling me with her to the group. "Ready to go?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"As we'll ever be." TenTen replied with a winning grin. Ino laughed before she and TenTen started lowering one of the row boats. Hinata and I climbed in, then Ino and TenTen, and then they continued lowering the boat until it gently hit the water. Ino and TenTen then began rowing before Ino said "We're only fifteen minutes away, so we shouldn't have that long of a trip." And with all the chatter, I believed her. "Oh, the boys already went ahead." TenTen informed us. "Really?" I asked, surprised. "Yeah, Shikamaru-kun convinced Tsunade-Sama that they were going to do a patrol of the city." Ino giggled. "No wonder I didn't see or, even hear from Naruto all day…" I pondered absently.

"Y-Yes, I believe Neji-kun is coming too." Hinata spoke up thoughtfully. "No doubt because of a certain someone!" Ino cried, grinning mischievously at TenTen, earning herself a glare. We all laughed and chatted a few more minutes, before Konoha came into view. "I-It's exactly as I remember…" Hinata murmured quietly. Hinata is the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, and for her own protection during the coup d'etat of the Uchiha, was given to Tsunade-Sama to protect her, as well as Neji, to train her. Hinata had been five, and Neji six, when they were torn away from their family. "I know… so many memories." The rest of us seemed to say in unison.

We had all been torn away and separated from our families because of the Uchiha. There were a few who were lucky, like Hinata, but it made no difference if they weren't with their family. "I got a letter from my dad… he told me he's trying to form a Coup d'etat against the Uchiha." Ino suddenly spoke up as she rowed quietly. "What? Really? With who? D-Does Tsunade-Sama know?" I stammered, overcome with shock from her sudden outburst. "Yeah, he is! With…Hinata and Neji's, Shikamaru's, Chouji's, Shino's, and Kiba's Clans apparently, as well as Jounin from around the village. And all of us, of course." She counted off with a grin.

"And Tsunade-Sama knows?" TenTen asked, out of the loop as well. Ino nodded, and the action seemed to lay a thick blanket of silence over the boat for the rest of the trip. After those few moments, Ino and TenTen tied our boat at the dock, and we all climbed up the ladder on the side and onto the walkway. "Come on, let's hurry!" Ino exclaimed as she took off all the way down the beach. "Ino, stop, wait!" I yelled after her. She froze in her tracks and turned to me. "What?" she asked, confused. "Umm, hello? The Uchiha do inhabit this place you know!" I said, scolding her recklessness. "Oh, right. Sorry, Sakura-chan. But still, come on!" She grinned, twirling around in a circle childishly.

We all laughed at her, before following her to our secret meeting place with the guys. I smiled at the sun, as the sky now turned to twilight. Tonight would be great.

A/N: Well guys, what did you think? :D? Longer and better right? I really liked this chapter personally; it was fun to write because of all the information, ha-ha. Anyway, so, please review guys! It took me the entire day to get it written! Ok, next chapter: One little ninja has a BIG problem with Sasuke… and what nickname does Sasuke earn from it? What does Sasuke learn about a certain Hyuuga? Also, Sakura and her group of friends arrive at their destination of choice for Sakura's party, but… wait…who could be there that crashes her party? And just what is Sasuke plotting? Well, you'll just have to wait and see…. )! So, as usual, this might be posted Friday, or next Monday. And, I hope you all enjoy a spooky Halloween! :D! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	5. In the pressence of the Enemy

A/N: Well hello again readers! Sorry this wasn't up yesterday… I was in the hospital! But, don't worry… I'm ok… I apparently just had some blockage in my upper digestive system so… I should be fine after drinking some of this nasty syrup they gave me. So… ready for chapter 5? Here it is! Go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 5: In the pressence of the Enemy

Neutral POV

"Watch it Baka!" Konohamaru yelled as he collided with a tall dark haired stranger. "Why don't you watch where you're walking and who you're talking to, you little runt?" He growled. "I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU DUCK BUTT LOOKING JERK! MY GRANDPA WAS THE 3'RD HOKAGE!" Konohamaru screamed. The stranger had made him spill his tea, and he wasn't going to get away with it. "K-Konohamaru-kun, we should go…" His runny nosed companion said quietly. "Yeah, come on! This guy looks scary…" A girl with red pigtails replied, tugging on his scarf. "Grrr… NO! He's gonna pay!" Konohamaru scowled, stomping his foot. The stranger and the boy were at a stand off, and almost all of the tavern watched with fear. "Konohamaru-kun. Knock it off." A young, black haired girl said, emerging next to him. She was his age, and had pale white eyes: A Hyuuga.

"Hanabi-chan." Konohamaru said, staring at her in surprise. "Move aside, Hyuuga. My battle is not with you." The stranger growled. "No. I will protect Konohamaru-kun, and if I have to kill you, I will." She hissed venomously. She activated her Byakugan and got in proper stance, the stance famously known as the "Hyuuga Style." "Tch. Never thought Hyuuga's were the self sacrificing type." He replied with a smirk, before unsheathing his katana. "You know nothing of my clan Uchiha, nor of me. But I do know your wretched bloodstained clan is the reason I don't have a mother. You're evil, and unforgivable. And I won't let anyone else I care about die by your hands. I'll kill you before I let you hurt my friends." The girl said coolly. This angered the boy, for he now glowered down at her with a look of hatred, his sword pointed at her tiny neck.

Before either of them could do anything else though, an even taller man stood between them. "Now, Now Sasuke. You're not really fighting with little children are you?" He asked the one with the sword. "Hn." Was all the reply he gave. Sasuke was in an awful mood now. That Hyuuga girl had really hit a nerve. "Come now, they're only kids. Forget about it. We came here to relax, not cause a blood bath. We don't want to give the Konoha resistance anything more to their cause. Remember that, little brother." Itachi whispered, before flicking his brother playfully in the head. Something Sasuke couldn't stand, yet was used to and found strange comfort in. It was something Itachi had done since they were children to annoy Sasuke, and the habit simply stuck. "Fine." Sasuke growled. "You're pretty lucky kid." Sasuke said with one last glare at the children, before shoving past them and back to the booth he and Itachi were sharing.

"Sorry about that little ones. Sasuke-kun… has a bit of a temper." Itachi said with a smirk. He ruffled Konohamaru's messy brown hair, and with a nod to Hanabi, strode back to the booth. "Why do I get the feeling you're still angry?" He asked, tilting his head as he sat down and picked up a menu. "I'm fine. Let's not talk about it." Sasuke said, glancing at the menu below him. A couple of minutes later, the waitress came and took their orders, before trying to flirt with Itachi. Itachi winked at Sasuke with a smirk, before sending her on her way. "Sasuke-kun, are you sure you're all right?" Itachi knew Sasuke was still agitated, but he had a feeling it wasn't because of the children. "I'm fine." He said, ignoring his older brother's worries for a moment as he gazed out the window.

"Hey, come on Sakura-chan that looks like a good place to hang at!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at a nearby tavern. "Naruto, quiet down you baka!" Shikamaru and Ino whispered fiercely, at the same time. But, the fox faced boy ignored them anyway, and waited for Sakura's answer. "Sure, why not? It seems pretty inconspicuous to me." She answered finally. "Awesome! Come on then, let's go and, oh! Sorry Hinata-chan." He apologized as he knocked into the Hyuuga heiress. "Uh, Uh, That's ok Naruto-kun. No damage." She smiled, a light blush tinting her cheeks as the group walked into the tavern.

"Naruto-Nii-san! Konohamaru yelled before running to said boy and hugging him tightly. "Oh, hey Konohamaru-kun, what's up?" Naruto asked, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "Where have you been Naruto-kun?" Konohamaru's other two friends asked. "I've been busy, training hard and stuff." He spoke boisterously, grinning down at them. The children were ecstatic and eager to more, so he continued, while the others found a table to seat their large group.

And that was the moment Sasuke saw her. The girl that had been haunting his memories the last twenty four hours. Except now she looked even more angelic; Beautiful beyond all comparison. He had to speak with her, had to HAVE her. He snapped back, shaking his head. "What am I thinking? She's the damn enemy!" He tried scolding himself. But the more he watched her, the more he didn't care. He needed her by his side. He needed to know she was his and his alone, and the back of his neck tingled in exhilaration. There seemed to be something magnetic about her, something that drew him to her, as he turned in his seat. "Sasuke-kun?" Itachi called. But Sasuke didn't hear him. He needed a chance to be with her without casting to much attention to himself to her friends.

He kept his eyes on her before drawing them away to analyze her group. Then, he noticed something. He smirked; His chance would soon be at hand.

A/N: ...DUN, DUN, DUN! ….So… What did ya'll think? :D? Amazing, yes? Tell me what ya'll think, seriously! I worked super hard on this chapter after just getting out of the hospital so… I WANT SOME REVIEWS! PLEASE! Ok, next chapter… DUN, DUN, DUN! Sasuke puts his plan into motion… but, what exactly IS his plan? Sakura and Sasuke both struggle with their feelings for each other… but they aren't the only ones! Naruto asks Hinata to dance… which leads to an interesting conversation! And, Shikamaru knows something the rest of the group doesn't… what does he know? And what exactly does he intend to do about it? Well… for all that juicy info… you'll just have to wait! Perhaps this Friday MAYBE depending on the reviews I get… (Hint, Hint) Or, it could be Monday. Anyway… I realized I messed up on my A/N last chapter! This weekend is Halloween weekend! So dismiss that! I hope you all have a great Halloween THIS weekend! Till next time! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	6. Dancing with Death

A/N: Well hello readers! Sorry this is late… but I thought last Friday was waaayyy too early, and this chapter wasn't ready yet, so, I'm posting it today, tee hee. Sorry about that. (I blame Music Theory AP personally… NEVER TAKE THAT CLASS GUYS! IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE!) Anyway, I really hope I get more reviews on this chapter than last chapter cause…. I only got 3 last chapter! D:! I was sad… but I'm happy because I'm hopeful on this chapter. (It's been my most favorite so far!) So anyway… enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 6: Dancing with Death

Neutral POV

She was the key. Sasuke had no idea how he was going to get to her, the girl with the angelic face had had not been able to forget; until he saw her blonde haired, blue eyed, severely annoying companion. The said girl had been admiring him for a good five minutes straight, without blinking, signaling her interest. She was the key to his enemy. And just like that, he stood from the booth he was in. "Where are you going?" Itachi called. But Sasuke ignored him. He approached the girl, who blushed upon his arrival, before bowing graciously. "May I, have this dance?" He asked, extending his hand. The girl nodded happily, took his hand eagerly, and followed him to the middle of the tavern, where other couples were dancing happily to the music being played by the band.

"I'm Ino!" The girl started, but Sasuke hardly paid attention. He was waiting for HER reaction. He knew, somehow, that she had not forgotten him, and he knew, that when she saw her friend in his arms, she would immediately come to save her. "My, that's quite interesting." Sasuke said, as he twirled Ino around the dance floor. "Oh, my friend Sakura would be so jealous if she were paying attention…" Ino snickered. And, immediately hearing her name, Sakura turned, and looked. "Perfect." Sasuke thought with a smirk. Sakura gasped, eyes widened slightly. "What is HE doing here?" She thought nervously. "And what is he doing dancing with Ino? Oh no… I've got to get her away from him!" And in an instant, she ran and began looking for Shikamaru. "Shikamaru!" She yelled. "Shikamaru?" She needed to find him.

Sasuke scowled. This was quite counter-productive; she hadn't even approached them. Sasuke gritted his teeth, his mouth set in a firm line. "No matter." He thought. She would come eventually.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura exclaimed joyfully. She had finally found the lazy boy sitting at the bar with Asuma, his sensei, and his father. "What is it?" He asked, startled. "It's Ino… I think you should go dance with her." She said, pointing to her, as she danced away blindly with their enemy. Shikamaru's eyes widened briefly, then almost scowled, then returned to neutral, before he yawned and stood up. "How troublesome… excuse me Asuma, Dad." He said, before following Sakura to the dance floor. He tapped on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke stopped mid-turn, before slowly turning to Shikamaru. The said boy smirked before saying, "Mind if I cut in?" Then, without waiting for reply, took Ino by the waist and waltzed her away.

Inwardly, Sakura sighed with relief, before turning away. Until someone seized her by the wrist. She turned back around, and landed in the arms of Sasuke, who seemed to be smirking in triumph. Sakura in turn scowled in defiance, before smacking his hand away from her. He grabbed her again, before pulling her close, whispering, "Do as I say, or I'll kill everyone in this tavern." Sakura glared at him in anger, but inside, her body was tingling from the sensation of his rough but gentle touch. "Dance with me." He commanded. But something in his voice softened. Sakura took his hand, and allowed him to waltz her along the dance floor, and they danced in synchronization, never taking their eyes off one another, secretly analyzing every detail of each other.

Finally, Sakura spoke. "I know you're here for something more that just to dance with me. What do you want Uchiha?" She whispered fiercely, glaring at him with cold, calculating eyes. Sasuke smirked at the use of his surname before replying, "On the contrary, my only intention was to dance with you." Sakura glowered. "Really? Cause I think you're lying through your teeth. You came to our ship; We know you're plotting something." She said coolly. Sasuke sighed before replying, "That has nothing to do with this." He spun Sakura around once, twice, before pulling her back to him. "I don't believe you." She whispered defiantly. Sasuke sighed once again. "That's your choice; however, I don't honestly care." Again he twirled her around, before pulling her back again, keeping one hand snaked about her waist, the other entwined with hers. "Of course you don't… I wouldn't have expected you to have any feelings, after all, considering who you are." She whispered viciously.

Sasuke growled in vehemence. "You're starting to annoy me." He whispered in her ear, tightening his grip around her. "Then let me go." She challenged. Truly though, she wanted no such thing to happen, which irritated her thoroughly. She should have shoved him away, screamed for help, threatened back… done SOMETHING to get away from him; but she hadn't. In fact, she found herself WANTING to dance with him. She would have blushed for shame simply at his touch, were it not for her stubbornness and pride. She would not let him win. "Now why would I do that? After all the work I did just to get to you? No… You belong to me for now." He spoke quietly, the upper corner of his mouth still forming a smirk.

"I will never belong to you." Sakura spat in protest. "Is that so?" the Uchiha replied, something dangerous lingering in the question. Sasuke stopped, before tracing the outer corner of her upper lip in a dangerously slow manner, examining every detail of her face: Her cool, spring green eyes he could have dived into, her delicate smooth pink cheeks, her petal pink hair that fell perfectly at her shoulders… and her beautiful glossed lips that tempted him closer. Sakura's cheeks grew warm, her body tingling as he seemed to be getting closer to her face. He was so very handsome, the way his intense eyes seemed to captivate her soul, and how his hair framed his face just perfectly so… maybe she didn't mind… "NO!" Something inside of her screamed. "YOU HAVE TO GET AWAY NOW! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? HE'S THE ENEMY!" Suddenly her brain seemed to function again, snapping her body out of its trance, and she pulled away from him roughly, in shock.

Sasuke seemed to snap out of it too, but not before Sakura saw hurt enter his cold, beautiful onyx eyes. And in that instant, she wanted so much to rush back into his strong, warm arms… but she didn't. Instead, she spoke, keeping her eyes on the floor. "You are an Uchiha… the enemy… I will never be with you." This pained Sasuke, which aggravated him, and even further so, because he knew she was right. Yet just moments ago, he still could not understand why, she was the center of his world. Sasuke glared down at his tormenter, before turning away swiftly and walking away, leaving her there in stunned silence. Then, quietly, mechanically, she walked back to her table of friends, who had scarcely noticed her absence; except Shikamaru, who sat quietly and fed Ino a dumpling.

He had seen everything that had occurred silently, in shock. "Better to wait." He thought, pulling Ino closer to him. "Oh, Sakura-chan, where were you?" Naruto asked, one of his goofy grins plastered all over his face. "Oh, just, dancing…" "Whaaattt? I wanted to dance with you!" Sakura groaned. "Naruto…" "Please?" He pleaded, puppy dog eyes perfectly in place. Sakura rolled her eyes. "I already danced Naruto, and I'm tired… why don't you ask Hinata?" Everyone on the ship knew Hinata had always loved Naruto. Everyone except dense, oblivious Naruto. Hinata had tried to tell him many times, but, in the end, she always seemed to lose her nerve.

Naruto seemed to perk up at the idea, before making his way over to Hinata, who happened to be nestled between Neji and TenTen. "Hey Hinata…" "Y-Yes, Naruto-kun?" Neji glowered suspiciously at Naruto now. "I was, wondering… Do you, uh… Wanna dance?" He asked, grinning a lop-sided, sheepish grin. Hinata blushed. "O-Of course… I'd love to." TenTen grinned at her, before patting Neji's back reassuringly. Neji huffed and sighed, before releasing his cousin from the confined seating area. Naruto then took Hinata's hand and led her to the dance floor.

"How adorable!" Ino cooed, snuggling closer to Shikamaru. Sakura nodded in agreement, glad that she had helped in the situation. TenTen sighed in exasperation, before saying, "Sometimes I wonder how he can be so dense." The table laughed in unison. "Yes, and sometimes I wish he'd stay that way." Neji groaned. This sent another wave of laughter across the table. "Though I feel bad for you Neji, I have to agree with TenTen. He's such a dope if he can't see it!" Kiba roared in laughter. Then, a silent, serious voice spoke up. "I agree as well. Why? Because it's so painfully obvious how much Hinata-chan cares for Naruto-kun." Shino murmured. Neji sighed in dismay. He would have to keep a closer eye on them…

"So, Hinata-chan…" Naruto started, as he placed a hand on said girl's waist. She blushed, a small smile spreading across her cheeks. "Y-Yes Naruto-kun?" She asked softly. Naruto spun her around the dance floor gracefully, trying to form his words, before he spoke. "Hinata-chan, what do you think of me?" He asked, seriousness filling his usually bright, cheery blue eyes. Hinata looked up at him, startled by his question. She blinked twice, overcome with embarrassment at being asked such a serious question by the one she adored, as she thought about her answer. He spun her around twice, before pulling her back close to him. Finally, to Naruto's relief, she began to speak. "W-Well Naruto-kun… I-I think… That, y-you're… You're wonderful, I-In so many ways… I… Admire you very much… You're so strong, a-and, even when things look bad, you never give up. You… You inspire me, Naruto-kun." Hinata spoke softly, her cheeks tainted scarlet. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked at Naruto in anticipation, wanting to know what he would say back.

Naruto was in stunned silence. Then slowly, a small soft smile appeared. "Gosh Hinata-chan… Did you really mean all that?" He asked, finally finding his voice. She nodded. "E-Every word, Naruto-kun." Naruto grinned now. "Wow… Thanks Hinata-chan, you're the best!" He exclaimed cheerfully, hugging her tightly. She froze, her entire face reddening, before slowly wrapping her arms around him, hugging him in return. "So, Hinata-chan… Do you think, maybe…" Naruto started. Hinata froze, her mind beginning to race. "Oh my gosh, he's going to ask me to be his… his…" Her thoughts were shattered. "Do you think maybe Sakura-chan thinks that about me too? D-Do you think she likes me?" He asked, a hopeful, naïve smile upon his face.

Hinata's heart sank slowly, to the bottom of her stomach, and she stared at the floor, stunned. She wasn't good enough for him. At the same time that she thought this, she was trying not to show her broken heart. She had to answer. "I… I-I really, don't know, Naruto-kun." She whispered, trying to hide the hurt. "Hey, Hinata-chan, what's wrong? Are you ok?" The handsome fox faced boy asked, upset that his friend looked so sad. "I-I'm just fine, N-Naruto-kun… Really." The girl said, smiling the best smile she could manage. But Naruto could still feel she was unhappy. "Was it something I did?" He wondered.

Sasuke was not happy. Itachi had been eating his food when Sasuke stormed back to the table, and threw some of the dishes onto the floor. "Sasuke-kun. What's wrong?" Itachi asked, concerned by his little brother's actions. Sasuke did not speak but instead sat very quietly. Itachi frowned, and took a drink from his sake. Something wasn't right. Inside, Sasuke was very upset. He had no idea what was wrong with him. All he knew was he needed another chance. He needed a plan; some way to win her over. "For God's sake, I don't even know her name…" he thought spontaneously. There were many things he didn't know about her… but he was determined to find out. He began to form another plan.

A/N: DUN, DUN, DUNNN! TO THE MAX! Mwahahahaha! I bet I tricked most of you with Naruto and Hinata…. And Sasuke and Sakura! GRAHAHA! That was my plan ;) Never fear though! There was fluffiness in this chapter, and, yes, there is more to come so stop having heart attacks now, ok? Ok! Next chapter… Shikamaru speaks with Sakura over what he witnessed! Hinata is despaired, which causes a very pissed off Neji! (OHOHO! D) Also, Sasuke initiates his next plan… but, wait, what is he doing? Also… we travel back to the Uchiha ship… what dastardly plan is Madara cooking up with Akatsuki? And what exactly is he trying to keep hidden from Sasuke? Well my friends, you will just have to wait till next chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! I love you guys :3 until next time! ~ xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	7. Alone in the Moonlight

A/N: WELL HELLO AGAIN GUYS! I am soooooo sorry that it's taken me SOOOOOO LOONNGGG to put up this chapter! I am VERY very late and I know that. I'm really sorry… that's all I can really say, honestly. I was working very hard on Final Exams; I had to study really really hard for Music Theory, so my mom wouldn't let me on my computer….. but the good news is, I passed that with an 84! :DD! AND, I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT ANYMORE, BECAUSE I DROPPED IT! YAY! I'm also late because it was Christmas… So… Please forgive me? D,: Take this chapter as a HUGE Christmas present to you guys! I made it long (I think..) and juicy to try and make up for not posting for such a long time! Anyway, enough babble from me, here's chapter 7!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 7: Alone in the Moonlight

Neutral POV

Unbeknownst to Sakura still, she had had a witness to her encounter with the Uchiha: Shikamaru Nara. After most of the group had dispersed to participate in different activities around the tavern, The only two people at the table were Sakura and Shikamaru. "What a drag. Guess now would be the best time." He groaned inwardly. He cleared his throat. "Sakura?" He asked tiredly. She turned her gaze to him. "Hm? What is it Shikamaru-kun?" She asked, putting down the menu she had been looking at. He sighed. "This is kind of a drag, but… we need to talk." He started. A thick blanket of silence quickly filled between them. "I… saw what happened. Between, you and… him." He said, trying to find the right words. Sakura's muscles tensed, before shaking her head, giving a short laugh.

"That? Yeah… He had the nerve to threaten me, and question me, before pulling something like that? Hmph. The nerve." She said quickly, her mind racing to explain what happened, so Shikamaru wouldn't think she was a traitor. And it worked… to an extent. His brain had been somewhat satisfied, but there was something still bothering him. "I guess… But, why didn't you get help?" He asked, tilting his head as he waited for her answer. She sighed. "He threatened to kill everyone in the tavern if I didn't comply… But, everything's all right now." She explained, alighting her face with the best smile she could muster. Finally appeased, Shikamaru dropped the subject. Something was off though, he knew, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey, Hinata-chan? What's the matter? Come back!" Naruto called as the Hyuuga heiress slowly made her way back to the table. Neji could see from where he was dancing with Ten-Ten that his cousin was deeply upset. "Excuse me Ten-Ten-chan. Something's wrong." He said, before making his way quickly to his obviously distressed cousin. Ten-Ten was following close on his heels. "Hinata-Sama, what's wrong?" Neji asked, worried by how upset she appeared to be. She didn't answer; but instead hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest. Neji looked down at her in surprise at her embrace, but slowly, returned the gesture and embraced her lightly. She was crying. He could feel her tears staining his shirt, and he quickly became very angry. And he had a good guess as to who had caused these tears.

After a moment, he detached her from himself. "Ten-Ten-chan, please take Hinata-Sama and… Comfort her. I'll be right back." He said lowly. Ten-Ten glanced at him wearily. She could hear in his tone that he was extremely angry, and she knew who that anger was soon going to be directed at. "Ok Neji-kun." She said, before whispering to him, "Take it easy, all right?" Then, she took Hinata's hand and led her to the wash room. Neji sighed. He knew he should listen to Ten-Ten, but when it came to Hinata, he was very over protective. He had always hated seeing that shattered, empty look she got in her eyes when she was upset like this, because it always seemed to eat away at him. It was his job to protect her. Of course, he knew he couldn't protect his young cousin from the world and its heart break, but he could protect her from at least most of it. And he could make sure that those who would hurt her would not get away with it , he saw Naruto approaching him. "Hey Neji, have you seen," "Naruto-kun. We need to talk." Neji quickly interrupted. "Uh, ok, sure Neji." Naruto said, confusion about his face. Neji then led Naruto outside the tavern, to the courtyard. There was a brief silence, before Naruto broke it. "What is it?" he asked.

Instead of answering though, Neji turned swiftly and, without warning, punched Naruto in the face. Naruto stumbled backward a few steps, shocked, before he got angry. "Hey, what the hell was that for you bastard?" He yelled, easily recovering from the blow. "You know what for." The Hyuuga replied coolly. Naruto was quiet in confusion, so Neji continued. "Listen Naruto. I don't know what you did, or said, to hurt Hinata-Sama… But I know you hurt her. You just…. You don't understand how… How…" He stammered angrily. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Look Naruto… You better not do it again, let's just make it that basic. If you are ever the reason for her tears again… It won't be good for you." Naruto looked at him, still confused by what happened. "B-but, I don't even know what I did! How do I even know it was my fault?" Neji rolled his eyes and ignored him though, and walked back into the tavern. Naruto stood there dumbfounded. What had he done?

Sakura had silently eavesdropped on Neji and Naruto, and she too like Naruto, was shocked. As Neji entered, Sakura could see he was pissed, watching as he stormed back to the booth. Just as Sakura was about to approach Neji and ask him what happened, TenTen and Hinata returned. Sakura frowned. Hinata really was upset. Her cheeks were tearstained, and her eyes were full of sadness. Even the air about her was melancholy. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked, deeply concerned. Hinata slowly lifted her eyes from her lap to take in Sakura. She remembered again what Naruto asked only moments earlier. "Do you think Sakura-chan likes me?" He was not concerned with the likes of her, all though she had poured her soul into her answer… but Sakura! He did not care about her. It would ALWAYS be Sakura. "Nothing." She murmured, before lowering her eyes once again. What she had truly wanted to say though, was " I'm not the one he wants... you are." However, she couldn't speak it aloud, lest her heart break again. Not buying it, but not wanting to cause the heartbroken Hyuuga more pain, Sakura decided to find Naruto.

"Naruto?" Sakura called into the looming darkness outside in the courtyard of the tavern, where said companion had last been seen. She strained her eyes to see. "Where is he?" She thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard movement behind her. She turned around quickly and punched who she thought might have been an attacker. But, it was Naruto. "Ow!" he cried out in pain, rubbing the now twice offended cheek. "What the hell Sakura-chan? First Neji, now you… Ow, ow, ow!" he whimpered. "Oh no, Naruto-kun I'm sorry, are you ok?" She asked, surprised. "Yeah, I'm fine… I just can't figure out why Hinata-chan's so sad…" he murmured.

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about… Did you talk about anything with Hinata-chan?" She asked. Naruto thought, and thought hard, before a light bulb came on. "Oh, yeah! I asked her what she thought about me…" He recalled with a smile, remembering her answer. "Then I asked her if maybe you thought that way about me too, since you're a girl, and she's a girl, and ya'll are friends…" There was Sakura's answer. "Ugh, Naruto… YOU IDIOT!" She yelled ferociously, interrupting him before he could say anything about the other part of his question to Hinata. Naruto deadpanned in fear, and immediately decided not to.

"W-What? W-What did I do?" he asked fearfully. Sakura smacked her palm into her face, before sighing. "Naruto, did you even bother to think before you said that to her? I mean seriously… how dumb can you get?" Sakura scolded, shaking her head in exasperation. "Whaaattt? What did I do?" The blonde demanded. Sakura sighed. "You hurt her feelings Naruto. You asked her a very serious question, and I know her, she must have gave a very thoughtful answer… And then you asked her a question about ME. You're not supposed to do that to a girl. You need to apologize to her." Sakura explained. Naruto sighed and mumbled, "Ok…" before leaving the pinkette alone in the courtyard.

Sakura sighed and sat one on one of the benches, and looked up at the stars. Suddenly, a flash of movement caught her eye. She gasped. "You… You again… Get away from me, or I'll be the one who kills you." She growled. The young Uchiha whom she had encountered earlier stepped into the moonlight, a light smirk on his face. "You're certainly not like other girls, are you? The girls I encounter most of the time are either infatuated with me, or afraid of me… I don't exactly know which category to put you in though…" He had an air of calm and elegance about him, but his smirk was deviant. "I am neither." She answered, glowering at him. He laughed quietly. "What's so funny?" She growled. "I don't believe you… I think you're both. But, there's still something about you that's different." He said, his eyes taking her in. Sakura turned her head in defiance, but inside, she was thrilled to hear his smooth, rich voice.

He approached her slowly, and she immediately became on guard again. "You don't have to do that… I'm not going to hurt you… yet." He said, adding the latter with a smirk. "And why should I believe you? You're an Uchiha… my Enemy." She challenged. He was thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Because… While it is indefinitely my goal to eliminate ALL Konoha Resistance… Something about you is telling me not to kill you yet." Sakura was quiet. "So, we both want to kill each other… At least we're on the same page." She murmured sardonically. Sasuke laughed at this, before replying, "Yes, we are on the same page. Tell me… what is your name?" He asked, approaching slowly once again. Sakura didn't do anything to stop him, and slowly, he sat beside her. "My name is Sakura… Haruno Sakura." She said, slowly daring to look at him. "Hmm… Sakura… that's a fitting name." He said in an approving manner. And it was fitting, for, no other name seemed to fit her beauty. She made no reply to the comment, but instead asked, "And you? What is your name?" She asked, curiosity lingering in her spring green orbs. She was sure she had heard his name last night, but, she soon forgot it with sleep, and had no time to remember it with Ino and her crazy birthday preparations.

"My name is Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." He said, locking his gaze with hers. She didn't hold it long however, for she glanced away. "Sasuke… that seems fitting for you too." She replied, still attempting to not look at him. Why was he watching her so intensely? It was too weird for her… "Sakura… I want to see you again… Very soon. I want to talk more with you… However, I won't force you." Sakura regarded him with a look mixed with shock, wonder, and moreover, distrust. "…Why?" She questioned suspiciously. "I already told you… There's something about you that interests me. I want to find out what that something is." He said, the hint of a smile showing on his face. Here she met his gaze, and he held it, and it seemed as if an eternity had past as they stared, taking each other in fully, almost as if they were trying to see the other's soul.

Finally, a voice snapped Sasuke back to reality. Itachi's voice, getting closer to the courtyard, where he and Sakura were. "I'll be right there Itachi." He called. "When can I see you again?" He asked again in a whisper. Sakura thought a moment. "Three days from now. Here, at sunset." She whispered. Sasuke smiled faintly before disappearing back into the tavern. "He has the most beautiful smile…" she thought dazedly. Sakura then exhaled, shocked by what had just occurred. "Did that really just happen? D-Did I just agree to meet him again? What's going on?" She thought in frustration. She sighed. "I need a plan." She decided. If she was going to meet him again, she was going to discover whatever plan Madara Uchiha had up his sleeve and stop him. "SAAAKURAAA!" Ino called. "C-Coming!" Sakura answered, before running to catch up with her friends who were leaving the tavern. And as she and her friends returned to the ship, she began to wonder if she had made a mistake in agreeing to meet him again.

"Madara-san, what exactly do you have in mind for this meeting? What is it you want?" Orochimaru asked curiously. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki had been called to a meeting by Madara, to talk about something the leader said was "Greatly important." So, there they were, staring at the masked man in expectation. "Patience, Orochimaru." He said. Another moment of silence occurred before he finally began to speak. "I have gathered you all here tonight, to discuss my new plan to crush the Leaf Resistance once and for all… and to completely gain control of Konoha itself." This perked the group's interest.

"I'll explain." He said. "We all know that pesky Tsunade is at the head of the Resistance, along with all of those mangy kids she took from Konoha." Madara started. "And, we also know, that it is impractical to attack Tsunade herself head on, after many attempts now…" One of the Akatsuki members, Deidara, growled in annoyance. "Get on with it, mmm." Madara glared in his direction, but continued. "As I was saying… So, first, all attacks must stop for now, in the village and on the water. Then, we'll distract them with another group…" he explained. Silence. "Tsunade will be confused. She'll suspect us, and investigate, only to find it is not anyone she knows of. I leave this to you all. Anyway… While they're pre-occupied, we will be gathering forces of our own. Then, we will launch a massive full scale attack… A war, actually… To crush the Resistance. For, as long as the Resistance continues to exist… Konoha will still feel like they have hope… A dream… Some of them call it "The Will of Fire."… With this war, we will extinguish that fire… Permanently." He said. There was much talk and planning then, as Madara cackled silently to himself. "And Sasuke's going to help me do it."

A/N: Well, that's it guys! I hope it was longer than my other chapters... I still have trouble making long chapters for some reason o.o Anyway... I just hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me... Pleeeeaaase please review and let me know if you liked the chapter, ok? Ok! Next chapter, Naruto tries to apologize to Hinata... will she try to tell him her true feelings? Will she forgive, or even listen to him? Also, Itachi is confronted by Madara who is in turn turned on by Itachi... Just what are those two hiding from Sasuke? Oh my... I wonder what will happen with that... Also next chapter... a member of Team Hawk breaks into Sasuke's room? What the hell? (Who could it be?) And, Madara also confronts Sasuke about his dastardly plan for the Leaf Resistance... With Sasuke having promised to meet Sakura again, what will his reaction be? Well guys, if you forgive me, and want to find out what happens, you'll just have to tune in till next time! Now, I'm NOT gonna make promises on when this chapter will be up, but I am going to TRY VERY HARD to make it pretty soon, since Christmas time is still in the air and New Years time is right around the corner...Till next time! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	8. Hidden Secrets

A/N: Well hello everyone! Guess what? NEW CHAPTER! I have to say… It took me awhile, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT! I personally think this is another one of my favorite chapters I wrote, so I hope it's a favorite for ya'll too! (You know, it's REALLY hard to keep these Uchiha men IC… Hahaha xD) Anyway, NO MORE BABBLE! Here's Chapter 8! : )

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 8: Hidden Secrets

Naruto's POV

"Ugghhh… What's wrong with my stomach?" I groaned aloud. Ever since we all had gotten back from Konoha, my stomach had been killing me. I thought I was hungry, so I ate some ramen… But it didn't help! Then I tried to sleep, but it was keeping me up, so now I'm just lying on my bed looking at the ceiling. Something else was bugging me too: What happened with Hinata at the party. I had never seen her look that sad before… Her eyes had been so… Empty. "Like… How mine used to be." I thought. I had been one of Tsunade-baa-chan's first kids she took in from Konoha… I was an orphan. I never knew my parents… No memories what so ever. None of the villagers in Konoha really liked me… They were afraid of me. More of what was inside me.

I lifted up my shirt to look at the ancient seal on my stomach. I had a demon fox sealed inside me, by the Fourth Hokage before his assassination. As much as the villagers were afraid of me, they wanted me safe… So Madara couldn't break the seal and control the Kyuubi. Legend says Madara was the only one besides the Fourth Hokage who could control the Kyuubi without having to be its host. So, they handed me to Tsunade-baa-chan. I made friends then… With Sakura… Everyone Tsunade-baa-chan took in. And I wasn't lonely or sad anymore. Seeing Hinata look like that though… I didn't like it. I also didn't like that I was the one who had done it.

My stomach coiled again… And then something hit me like a wall. "I need to go talk to Hinata!" I yelled, and ran out of my room. Hinata's room wasn't that far away…

Neutral POV

It was midnight. The Hyuuga heiress was looking out one of the port holes in her room and watching the waves sway back and fourth gently, as if the water was dancing. Somehow, her tears had finally managed to stop, but she was still restless. Why didn't Naruto see how she felt? She sighed. She slowly walked back to her bed and sat. Despite what happened, she was upset with Neji for hitting him. She had seen the rather large bruise on Naruto's face and immediately knew it was her cousin. He in turn said it was foolish of her to defend him, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Because she already knew it was foolish of her… But she still loved him.

Her heart leapt out of her chest when there was a knock on the door. "…Hinata?" She stood from the bed in shock. "Naruto-kun… What is he doing here?" She wondered bewilderedly. "Hinata-chan, are you awake?" He called softly. The pale eyed beauty bit her lip. Shouldn't she answer? Or maybe she was supposed to ignore him… Heaven knows she couldn't do that though. "Yes?..." She answered him finally. Naruto sighed in relief and gave a small smile at the sound of her voice. "Hinata-chan… Can we talk?" He asked, scratching the back of his head. Hinata began to play with her fingers nervously, as she tried to think of what to do.

At last, she sighed. "I-I suppose…" She replied. "B-But please don't come in… Ok?" Naruto complied with her wishes and instead leaned against the door. "Hinata… I'm… I'm sorry." Naruto said lowly. Hinata looked up from the floor in surprise, her cheeks growing slightly pink. "Naruto…" "No, I mean it Hinata… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said something like that, especially since you gave me such a nice answer… I guess I just wasn't thinking… But I didn't mean to make you so sad… Honestly…" He explained earnestly, remorse ringing clear through his voice. Hinata's heart was fluttering like a butterfly, her mind racing a hundred miles a minute. What should she do?

Slowly, she made her way to the door. "Naruto-kun… I-I… I just…" She bit her lip. "Please Hinata… I can't stand seeing that sad look in your eyes… Please forgive me." He said desperately. Now Hinata leaned against the door too. "He sounds so sincere… So serious." She thought in wonder. "I… I forgive you, Naruto-kun…" She said, barely above a whisper. They both stood on either side of the door in silence, both afraid to speak and shatter the quiet. "Thank you… Hinata-chan… Good night…" Naruto called. By the time he started to walk away, Hinata's heart was pounding so loud in her head that she threw open the door and ran to him. "Wait!" She yelled, grabbing him by the shoulder. Naruto spun around quickly, and when Hinata realized what she had just done, and their close proximity, her face grew red.

"Yes Hinata-chan?" said Naruto, watching her, confused. Hinata smoothed out her nightgown before glancing up at him. Naruto had to admit, Hinata looked beautiful, even in just a nightgown. It was long and white, and her soft pale eyes gave her an angelic glow. Suddenly, she slowly reached out and pressed her hand softly to his bruised cheek. Naruto tensed, feeling her delicate fingers on his cheek, and he kept his gaze on her. "D-Does it hurt?" She asked timidly. Naruto smiled lightly; Hinata was always so kind, and worried about him even when he had a paper cut. He shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine… I've suffered worse." He answered sheepishly. Hinata slowly removed her hand, blushing. "I'm sorry he did that…" She whispered.

Naruto shook his head, amused. Then, he hugged her closely and said, "Don't apologize for him… He was right." Hinata's face had reddened by about one hundred shades, shocked by his embrace, and how close he was. No distance between them anymore, and his beautiful smile that was beaming down at her, and his arms around her… This was the very thing she had dreamed of for so long! "N-Naruto-kun… I-I… I have to tell you something… I-I… I Lo..." She fainted from embarrassment. Naruto quickly caught her and held her up. "Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan! Hey, what's the matter? Agh… I guess she fell asleep…" Said Naruto, giving a small laugh. He pushed a few strands of hair from her face and he smiled. She looked more beautiful and peaceful in her sleep. Finally, he lifted her in his arms, laid her on her bed, and left, closing the door behind him. "Goodnight Hinata." He whispered. Then, he walked back to his room so that, with his stomach now at ease, he could catch some Z's too.

"Itachi." Madara called upon seeing him and Sasuke walking past his cabin. Itachi stopped. "Go on Sasuke, it won't take long." The elder brother said, shooing Sasuke away. Sasuke simply rolled his eyes and continued down the hallway. Itachi stepped in and shut the door behind him. "You missed the meeting Itachi. It's not like you." Madara said, keeping a steady gaze on his nephew. "Forgive me. I must have lost track of time." Madara scoffed. "Don't lie to me. I know you deliberately missed that meeting… Because you were supposed to bring Sasuke." Itachi sighed. It was no use lying to Madara. "What is it?" He asked, ignoring that he had been discovered. "You can't keep him in the dark of this, Itachi. Like it or not, he is a great part of this plan." Itachi glared dully at the masked man. "So speaks the Hypocrite." He said, hinting at something. Madara glared at him now. "Sasuke doesn't need to know about that. Would you really want the image of your perfect parents destroyed for him?"

Itachi laughed curtly. "You mean you don't want him turned against you. I wonder how Sasuke would feel if he knew his uncle was the one who sold his parents out to Konoha Resistance after the Assassination of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, AND the murder of the Hyuuga matriarch after the attempted kidnapping of the Hyuuga heiress… When it was actually you." Madara slammed his fist on the desk and stood, Sharingan activated. Itachi smirked, his own Sharingan already activated. "Your parents were as much apart of the killings. You should remember Itachi." Itachi laughed darkly. "Yes, as were you. And you sold them out before they could take your power away from you." The two men were at a stand off.

Finally, Madara smirked from behind his mask and sat back down, chuckling lowly. "How are you going to protect him from this war Itachi? I want to know. And how do you know he won't want to participate? After all, he's not exactly like you…" Itachi glowered at his uncle now. "The same way I did before. He may not be a child anymore, but there are ways to keep him out of this. And so help me uncle… If you even try to drag him into this, I will tell him. And then I'll kill you." Itachi walked out of the cabin after he finished his sentence, and slammed the door behind him. Madara cackled. "Such a stubborn fool, Itachi."

Sasuke's POV

As I walked away from my brother and continued down the hallway, my thoughts drifted back to Sakura. I closed my eyes and smiled. She had agreed to meet me again, meaning I was that much closer to making her mine. My thoughts were interrupted by a banging and crashing noise that was coming from my room. Slowly, I unsheathed my katana and paced carefully to the door. I could feel another chakra presence in my room and I smirked. Apparently they weren't bright enough to mask their chakra signature. My katana at ready, I threw open the door and swung at the figure, only to hear the sound of clashing swords. I flicked the light switch on the wall on, getting a look at the person.

"Neh Sasuke-san, what's up?" It was Suigetsu. "What are you doing in my room?" I demanded. Suigetsu grinned a toothy grin. "Relax Sasuke. Kisame came to some meeting, so I thought I'd drop by and surprise you… I think the last part may have worked a little bit too well though." He snickered. I rolled my eyes. "What made you think it'd be ok to just come into my room?" I asked, glowering at him. "Ah come on Sasuke-san, don't be like that. We're pretty close!" Suigetsu said with another grin. I smirked and rolled my eyes. "I suppose so… Something tells me there's another reason for your being here though. Something you're not telling me." Suigetsu dropped his head and shook it.

"How the hell do you do that man?" He asked confusedly. Caught him. "Spill it." I said, turning towards him. He crossed his arms and leaned against one of the cabin walls. "Honestly, I don't know… Kisame-Sama wouldn't tell me much. But I know it's something big, cause he had some sick sadistic smile on his face, and that only happens when there's going to be a lot of blood." Suigetsu explained, giving a shudder at the last part. That was one thing I had to give him credit for: Suigetsu had an uncanny ability to read people, and along with that, getting people to talk. "I see. So something's going on." My thoughts immediately turned to Madara. "Seems so… I'm sure Madara has something to do with it." He said, guessing the same thing I had.

"Did Kisame say anything else?" I asked, watching Suigetsu. He shrugged. "Only that you and I will be working together soon… Won't that be exciting?" He chuckled. I smirked, shaking my head. "Sure… did he say anything else though? Is there anyone else working with us?" Again, he shrugged, running his fingers through his shoulder length white hair. "Unfortunately, I think Karin… And possibly that nutcase Juugo." We both let out a collective groan, and I rolled my eyes. "Why Karin? She's on a separate assignment I thought. Itachi and I just told her so today." We were quiet as we tried to determine an answer. "Maybe Itachi would know. Maybe he or Madara talked to her separately." Suigetsu suggested. This was plausible. I did leave before Itachi, so perhaps maybe he talked to her then… Or like he said, which I was leaning more towards, Madara. "Maybe. Either way, now we have to deal with her…" I sighed. I really couldn't deal with Karin and her estranged advances… especially when I had to deal with whatever was going on around here… And figuring out how to get to Sakura.

"Yeah… Well, at least maybe she'll shut up with Juugo around. He's kind of a creepy guy. A really powerful creepy guy." I nodded. Suddenly there was a knock on my door. "Come in." I called. Madara entered the room, turning to see Suigetsu. "Ah… Kisame's apprentice. Suigetsu, isn't it?" Suigetsu nodded in acknowledgement. "A pleasure, Madara-Sama." Suigetsu said with a bow. "Hm. Shouldn't you be leaving? Kisame must be wondering where you are." Said Madara, the command to leave lingering in his tone. Suigetsu recognized it, and he waved goodbye before leaving the room.

"What do you want?" I asked, aggravated that he had gotten rid of Suigetsu. "We need to talk." His voice was stern. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the bed, sitting on the edge. Taking this as compliance, he continued. "Sasuke... I assume Suigetsu told you that you two will be working together soon?" I nodded. "Hm… I see. Let me explain the plan: We're going to stop all attacks on the Resistance, and the village." I looked up at him in shock, and glared at him. "What? What do you mean?" I growled. I was about to protest just as Madara gave an exasperated sigh. "Calm yourself. It's part of the plan." I glared suspiciously at him, waiting for him to continue. "After a short period of time, Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo will begin a new onslaught of attacks. Tsunade will become suspicious, and investigate, only to find she doesn't recognize them…" "What do I have to do with this then?" I growled, interrupting him.

Again Madara sighed. "You will be apart of those attacks as well… out of sight though. Your part of the mission is to either keep out of sight, or go undercover. I don't care what you decide, but make sure no one recognizes you. Anyway, while you do this, The Akatsuki and I will be gathering forces… Once we have gathered a large enough force… we will launch a massive attack on the Resistance… And the war will begin." My eyes widened as I listened to him. War. He was planning a war.

My thoughts ran in circles, and the only thing I could think about was Sakura. She and I would be fighting against each other. "She's the enemy." I thought in wonder. But no… my subconscious persisted, and my stomach clenched. I couldn't fight Sakura. I couldn't let Sakura fight… couldn't let her get hurt. If I was going to make her mine, I couldn't let her be hurt. I had to protect her… but I couldn't. What could I do? I tried to calm my panicking mind to no avail, but finally managed to exhale, realizing I had been holding my breath.

"Sasuke?" Madara asked, confused by my silence. My mind jolted back to alertness. "I understand… How do you expect me to be undercover though?" I asked, taking my frustration out on the matter of how to find a disguise. "Don't worry. I'll take care of that." He said, giving a dark chuckle. Now it was my turn to give an exasperated sigh and run my fingers through my hair. "Fine, whatever. Anything else?" I demanded, wanting to get rid of his presence. "Yes, just one more thing: You and Suigetsu will need to seek out Karin and Juugo, and bring them back, so we can begin forming a strategy." Madara said, turning towards the door. "When?" "Tomorrow. For now, get some rest… Goodnight Sasuke." After that, he left and closed the door behind him.

I stood from my bed and began pacing the room. "Damn it!" I yelled, slamming my fist into the wall. I grated my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out exactly what to do. I felt so conflicted, and angry… Konoha Resistance was the enemy. They murdered my parents. I wanted to kill them all… But Sakura… She was apart of the resistance… "She's the damn enemy!" my head screamed. But something else in me wouldn't let me believe it. She was supposed to be my enemy… But I couldn't hurt Sakura… I had to know more about her… I had to make her mine… I wasn't supposed to fight her.

I sat back down on the bed and lay back, closing my eyes in frustration. I couldn't tell Sakura… or else I would lose her. And I couldn't tell my soon to be comrades, for obvious reasons. The only thing I could do would be to fight her if we did ever engage in combat… If I fought her, my team mates wouldn't be able to hurt her, and I wouldn't hurt her either. And being at a more skilled level, I'd make sure she didn't hurt me. But I didn't like this situation… But it was the only thing I could do. I sighed once again. "That's that then." I decided firmly.

Finally, I got back up and peeled off my shirt, tossing it to the floor, and removing my boots. After that, I got into bed and pulled the covers up, burying myself into my pillow. I listened to the waves crashing against the boats side as I let my thoughts drift once again to Sakura. No matter what, I wouldn't let her get hurt. And as I fell asleep, the last thing I thought of was her smile.

A/N: DUN, DUN, DUUNNN! MWA HA HA HA HA, I feel so EVIL! What did ya'll think? Like I said, I really liked writing this chapter, so, I hope ya'll liked reading it, hehe! I think the fluff came out good, and I think the Uchiha personalities are all still in tact… SO ANYWAY, please make sure and review, cause I definitely want to know what you all thought of this chapter! Ok, next time: Sakura leaves to meet with Sasuke once again, but she has a little trouble leaving… Who could be the cause of that? Then, our favorite couple finally meets… Just what does Sasuke have in mind to win Sakura's heart? And just how are they going to deal with their conflicted feelings with each other? Also, it's been 3 days since Hinata and Naruto spoke… and Hinata is still very embarrassed. Naruto confronts her, and she struggles to build the confidence to tell him what's in her heart… of course, Naruto doesn't know about that though. However, just what does our dim-witted friend say to surprise Hinata? Finally, upon discovering Madara went against his wishes, Itachi takes matters into his own hands… but what exactly does he decide to do? WELL, you'll just have to wait to find out! So again, review! I'll try to have this next chapter out soon, but with school back in session it will be a little bit difficult… BUT I'LL DO MY BEST! Till next time guys! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	9. Betrayal

A/N: Wow… Hi Guys…. I am so...so…. Sorry…. It's been so long… I had school, and Final exams, and Writer's block, and Driver's Ed, and summer, and just… SO many distractions… So please… My most sincere and humblest of apologies ever. Also, I might change this chapter up a tiny bit from the description I gave in the last one, but just a tiny bit. Any way… No more blab. HERE'S CHAPTER 9!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 9: Betrayal

Sasuke's POV

"Oh Sasuke-kun! Sasukee-kunn!" I growled. "What?" Karin ran to catch up to me and snaked her arm around mine, which I quickly removed. "Where are we going, hmmm? You naughty boy!" I rolled my eyes in disdain. "Oi, shut up already Karin! Leave Sasuke-san alone, he obviously isn't interested in a nut-job like you." I couldn't help but smirk at Suigetsu's comment. "WHAT'D YOU SAY? SHUT UP YOU BAKA, OR I'LL SMASH YOUR FACE IN!" Karin roared, stomping back to the rear, where Suigetsu was retreating and climbing onto a rock to safety. I sighed. "Knock it off you two, we don't have time for this." They stopped and turned to look at me, then glared at one another, then back at me. "We're going to get Juugo. Now come on. We're losing time. The quicker we get there, the more of a chance we have that he may be in a stable condition."

Not much longer after that they were at my heels again. Luckily, Juugo's compound wasn't exactly too much farther. "Come on Sasuke-san, where is this place? I'm tired already…" "It's not too much further." "Awww man…" "Shut up Suigetsu, stop complaining! You don't see Sasuke-kun or me complaining!" I growled and rolled my eyes. "Both of you shut up." I couldn't wait until this mission was over. Just a short while and it would all be over. "What was that noise?" Karin shrieked. I growled and slapped my hand over her mouth, before pulling my katana out. "Don't. Move. A muscle." I whispered to her. She nodded fearfully. "Suigetsu. Formation B." He disappeared. I took my hand away from Karin's mouth and moved a few feet away from her. "Wait, what are you doing? Sasuke!" "I've decided….!" A monstrous voice called from somewhere in the trees. "What was that?" Karin whispered. "Juugo… Come out, now." I called. "I'VE DECIDED…!" The voice roared again, closer this time. I found Suigetsu in a nearby tree and nodded. "What have you decided Juugo?..." I called out.

"The one whose blood I spill today…" He whispered. I closed my eyes. Karin shrieked horrendously, and my body moved in a flash, eyes opening to catch Juugo's with the Sharingan, while Suigetsu restrained him. "Nice timing Sasuke-san! I almost wondered if you were gonna save her…" Suigetsu snickered, and Karin gaped at the both of us, shocked, and then at Suigetsu angrily. "Sasuke would NEVER!" I ignored them both, concentrating on keeping Juugo contained in my genjutsu. It was simple, nothing much, but I didn't want him to snap either. If this went wrong, he could very well break my neck, considering the very short distance we were from each other.

"Your eyes…" He whispered. I said nothing, but only continued to hold him in his place. "They remind me of… Someone I used to know…" I could feel him calming himself by his own freewill, so I lessened the jutsu, enough to where I could easily regain control if he snapped again. "Kimimaro-san…" Juugo whimpered. "He abandoned me… He was like my brother…" He lowered his head. I looked at Suigetsu, letting him know it was ok to let him go, and at the same time, I released him from the jutsu. He sat with his knees curled into his chest. "He didn't abandon you Juugo…" I said, lowering myself to his level and putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me, surprised and wide-eyed. "W-What? What did you say?" "Kimimaro didn't abandon you. He was killed in battle. Murdered." His eyes sprang open with a murderous look in them, and his hand grabbed my neck and flung me to the hard forest floor. Before he could pin me though, I rolled, and pointed my katana at his heart, locking him back into a genjutsu. "You ok Sasuke-san?" Suigetsu called, struggling to keep Karin's mouth shut. I waved him off as I stood. "Listen to me Juugo! I can help you get revenge for your brother. You want that, don't you? For Kimimaro?" He nodded helplessly. "Do you want to know who killed Kimimaro, Juugo? The people who took away the only person you had in this world? The one's responsible for your loneliness and pain?" Again, he nodded helplessly. "Konoha Resistance." I whispered.

Then he was still, and deathly calm. "Do you know what I have come here for Juugo?" He stared up at me. "I need you Juugo. Come with me. Come with me, and you will have your revenge." He responded with silence. "You remind me so much of Kimimaro…" I stared at him blankly. "…Kimimaro… He was the only one… Who could ever stop me… Who could ever help me…but, you, Sasuke-san… You can too…" I could only continue to stare at him, as he pitifully stared up at me, like a dog that's been beaten one too many times. Only, this "dog" was a killer that at an early age had murderous tendencies, which caused him to abandon his home and go on a large scale killing spree for most of his life, until he ran into Orochimaru, one of the Akatsuki, who used him as one of his human test subjects, and from him, created a vast variety of drugs and curses. When Orochimaru was done mutating him and using him for his sick purposes, he cast him aside, and put him on the mountain.

I remembered Kimimaro vaguely. He was Orochimaru's top and most trusted subordinate, and also his most powerful. However, he was also the most ill-ridden, always sick, due to drugs. His personality was what annoyed me the most though. He was pompous, arrogant, and condescending, and thought he was better than me and my brother. Something I couldn't stand. Looking at Juugo though, I could see Kimimaro meant the world to him. "W-Will you help me, Sasuke-san?..." Juugo murmured suddenly, giving me a pleading look. I inwardly sighed, and for a moment, I actually did feel sorry for him. He had lost someone important to him, the only person who didn't run away. I could feel sorry for him for that. "Yes. I'll help you Juugo." He was quiet again, only nodding. After awhile, he stood up, his head lowered. "I will follow you Sasuke-san, and do as you wish." I nodded. "All right then. Let's go." I turned to face Karin and Suigetsu. "It's time to go back to Headquarters. I'll brief you all there. For now though, I will tell you this: We will now be known as Team Hawk."

Neutral POV

"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT, STOP THAT!" "What? Ow, Geez, you don't have to hit me so hard Sakura-chan!" Naruto rubbed his head gingerly, pouting childishly at his pink haired friend. "Well talk to me then! What's the matter? You've barely talked to me all day!" Sakura growled again, glaring at him with a "If looks could kill" look. Naruto finally sighed and gave up, retreating from the decidedly mute female. Actually, it wasn't that Sakura didn't WANT to talk to Naruto, she really did. He was her best friend, the one person she told everything to; even the things she didn't tell Ino of all people. But there was no way she could tell him she was about to go see him again. "Him" being Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha Clan, the clan that for generations has plagued Konoha with its tyrannical rule and deadly force, slaying innocent people, and killing many of her friend's families, and possibly her own. Yet here she was, about to go and fraternize with the enemy.

She sighed deeply. She felt awful on one hand. She felt like she was betraying her friends, and her morals, and somehow even, though she had never known them, her family. She also felt ashamed and guilty, and afraid. "What would Tsunade-Sama say if she found out? Well… I would probably be dead…but, if I didn't die…" Sakura didn't know if she could stand to see a disappointed look on her master's face. On the other hand, she felt like this was her chance to prove herself, and to be a great help to Konoha Resistance, and to the village. To help her friends. But Sakura wondered if that was all that was behind her motivation. Deep inside, she was worried, and nervous about this meeting. "He's so handsome… And his eyes are so deep and intense… I feel like I'm drowning when he looks at me…" she growled inwardly at herself.

"I shouldn't feel that way at all! Shut up Sakura! Listen to yourself! Shut up! He is the enemy. Strictly the enemy, you understand? This is reconnaissance work. You're going to take advantage of this meeting, or whatever this is, but keep your guard up in case this is a trap, and learn everything you can, then report it to Tsunade-Sama. No matter what! This is for Konoha!" After finishing her mental pep-talk, she got up and went to the room to get ready.

Naruto on the other hand had decided to go to his favorite place on the ship, the bowsprit. He knew it was risky and dangerous, and he knew Tsunade hated it, but he didn't care. He felt extremely free when he sat up there, and it wasn't like it was dangerous at the moment, considering they weren't really moving. Carefully, he balanced himself and walked to the very edge and sat atop the first Hokage's head. He looked at the water below, and watched as fish made their way to the top to peek at the surface, to see what could be, before sinking once again, going back to their dismal lives. He frowned at them. "Stupid fish." He scoffed. Then he heard a small squeak behind him. "N-Naruto-kun! W-w-what are you doing out there! Get back on the ship! Y-You could fall off!"

Naruto smiled and turned. "Hey Hinata-chan!" he greeted warmly. Hinata stared at him, wide-eyed and horror-stricken. Naruto laughed. "It's ok Hinata-chan, I'm fine. I do this all the time! See?" He stood up to prove his point. "N-NARUTO, SIT DOWN!" Hinata screamed. Naruto stared at her confused, but shrugged and did as she said. Hinata sighed and gripped the wood of the bowsprit tightly, before pulling herself up and standing. Naruto stood now. "Hey Hinata-chan, what the hell do you think you're doing? This is way too dangerous for you, get back on the ship!" He yelled, grabbing her wrist to steady her. She stared at him defiantly and shook her head. "N-No Naruto-kun. I won't let you sit out here by yourself and risk you falling overboard and no one seeing it." Then she stared at his hand holding her wrist and felt herself begin to blush, so she lightly pulled it away from him.

Naruto stared at her for a long time before finally sighing and sitting back down. Hinata smiled and sat with her legs over the side. After a few minutes, Naruto turned to Hinata, smiled, and let out a small laugh. She stared at him curiously. "W-what is it Naruto-kun?" He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned sheepishly at her. "It's nothing it's just… Well, I don't know… This has always been just… MY secret place… I've never shared it with anyone before…" He let out a small laugh. Hinata nodded, understanding. "You wanna know something though Hinata-chan?" He asked, meeting her eyes with his. "Y-Yes?" Hinata asked, completely captivated by how blue his eyes were. "I'm really glad you're the first to share it with me…" He said, grinning at her. Hinata's cheeks began to grow pink with embarrassment, and she hid her face from his, trying to control herself. "Hey, what's the matter? Was it something I said again?" He asked with a frown. Hinata turned to him slightly and shook her head. "I-It's nothing Naruto-kun… Everything is perfect… I-I'm just really happy that I'm the first person to share this with you too." She said, smiling lightly. Naruto stared at her thoughtfully, smiling for a few minutes, and then let out a small laugh. "You know what Hinata? I really like you."

Sakura's POV 

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything will be ok Sakura. Do not panic." One part of me told myself inwardly, attempting to be rational. The other part of me seemed to be screaming, "SCREW RATIONALITY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? THIS IS MADNESS!" Currently, I was holding favor with the latter, louder one. I looked in the mirror once again, taking myself in. I was wearing a simple, spring green dress with a dark green ribbon tied in the back, and lace on the sleeves. Simple and nice, and it matched my eyes, yet it didn't seem like I was trying to dress up for him. Then something occurred to me. "Should I bring a weapon?" I wondered. "Since it is a possibility that this could be a trap, I could be in danger, so shouldn't I bring a weapon? Then again, if I bring a weapon, and someone sees me leaving, that will alert them that I'm going somewhere dangerous, which will leave the risk of someone following me…" I decided I wouldn't bring a weapon. Even if it was a trap, I was confident enough in my skills that I would be able to handle myself.

Closing the door carefully behind me, I tiptoed out of the hallway and made my way quietly up the stairs. It was almost sunset. Quickly I checked that the coast was clear before going onto the deck and running over to where the boats were, only to have my heart skip a beat when I saw that Shikamaru was there. I stopped dead in my tracks. "Shikamaru-kun." "Sakura-chan." He greeted with his casual, laid-back drawl. "What are you doing out here?" I asked with a smile, attempting to be casual and friendly. He was quiet a few minutes before lazily replying, "I could ask you the same question." I looked at him coolly, keeping my gaze unchanged. "Damn it!" I screamed in my head. Now I really wished I had a weapon of some sort. For a long time there was nothing but thick silence, so thick in fact, it felt like you could cut it with a knife, and I wondered what his first move would be.

"Look Sakura, this is a real drag, and I really don't feel like fighting with you…" He groaned. I still said nothing. "You don't even have a weapon." He pointed out, reminding me that he had the upper hand. Still, I didn't reply. He sighed. "Geez, you females, you're all the same… So damn stubborn. What a drag." I looked around me for something I could use at all really, but nothing seemed useable. I rolled my eyes. Just my luck to be caught with Shikamaru: Strategist, Shadow manipulator, and great with weapons. "You can beat him Sakura; you've beaten him plenty of times before. You're a fair strategist yourself; you are the second smartest of your group only to him. You also have your extensive Taijutsu training from Lady Tsunade, so you are ten times stronger than he is. Just don't put a hole in the ship. Just take him down, and leave. You can try to reason with him later." I reasoned with myself mentally.

However, I scratched that last part. I needed to try to convince him to let me go of his own free will. I couldn't let Shikamaru run off and tell everyone I was going to go and meet with the enemy. I couldn't let him jeopardize this for me, and more than anything, I couldn't let him tell Lady Tsunade that I was a traitor, because I wasn't. I needed to get him on my side. I sighed. "Shikamaru-kun… this isn't what you think it is, I swear. Let me explain." I said, putting my hands up to let him know I wasn't going to attack. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a doubtful scowl. I glared at him and return and sighed. "Explain than Sakura. What are you doing, and where are you going dressed like that? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're going to see the enemy…and, not for battle." He scoffed with a smirk. I scowled at him defiantly, but kept my head held high. "Yes. I am going to see the enemy." I admitted. His eyes widened at my bluntness, but immediately narrowed once again, returning to their lazy, glazed look.

When he still hadn't said anything, I continued. "The enemy is interested in me, only me Shikamaru-kun. I don't why, but he is. He requested to see me alone. How many offers have we gotten in the past to meet with the enemy? None. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get some kind of information! If I can find out anything at all, I know it would be useful!" I said, pleading. He looked up at me, contemplating something I could tell. Finally, after a few minutes, he spoke. "Sakura, this is really dangerous. You shouldn't go alone. It could be a trap. You could get kidnapped, or killed… you should let me or Naruto come with you." He said, obviously concerned. I sighed. "I know… I've thought that through. I know there's a risk of it being a trap. But, this is something I have to do alone. Besides, I'm one of the best. If it is a trap, I know I'll be able to handle myself. If anything does happen to me… I'll send a signal from Hokage's Rock, at the end of the bay on the east side of the island. We're meeting at the Tavern, so if it is a trap… I'll be able to get there fairly quickly." I said with a small smile.

Shikamaru scratched his head and scowled and groaned before finally sighing. "Alright, alright… Fine. But listen Sakura-chan, I just hope you know what you're getting into here. I would hate to see you get hurt. And you know, you and Ino have been friends for a really long time, and if she ever found out that I was the one responsible for letting yourself go and get killed, she'd never let me hear the end of it…" He smirked. I couldn't help but giggle, because, I honestly could picture Ino torturing Shikamaru for the rest of his life if something did happen tonight. Not that anything will. "Haha, thank you Shikamaru-kun." I said, flashing him a grateful smile. "Take care for yourself Sakura-chan!" He called, as I settled myself into the boat. I nodded and waved goodbye, as he lowered me into the water. Then, I began to row toward Konoha, and I wondered what lied ahead for me there.

Neutral POV

The sun was setting on the Horizon just as Sasuke walked into the Tavern. Every eye in the room fell on him, only to dart back to whatever it had previously been looking at before. Sasuke smirked and shook his head, before walking out of the back door and into the courtyard, where he and Sakura had agreed to meet. "Not here yet." He mentally noted dully. He then spotted the bench where he and Sakura had first talked to each other, walked over, and sat. A few seconds later, he caught a small figure standing in the doorway out of the corner of his eye. "You're late." He said with a smirk.

Sakura rolled her eyes in response, but didn't move. He turned and gazed at her, and her stomach clenched. "Why am I so nervous? Calm down!" She commanded. But her stomach did not listen. Sasuke stood and took a few steps toward her, which only made her discomfort grow. When he was only few inches away, he bowed, took her hand, and kissed it gently. Sakura wanted to cringe, and at the same time, she was excited, feeling his smooth lips on her skin. "You look beautiful." He murmured, taking her in once again. "Thank you." She said, smiling politely. He held his hand out, which Sakura cautiously took. Sasuke smirked, and led her out of the Tavern. "Where are we going?" She asked suspiciously. Sasuke didn't answer though, and led her through the streets of Konoha. Sakura frowned uneasily. "Is he leading me somewhere remote so he can kill me?" She thought worriedly. However, the way he held her hand, it wasn't forcefully, and he wasn't dragging her. It was light, willful. She could easily pull her hand away this instant if she wanted do. What scared her most though, was that she didn't want to.

After a few moments of walking, they were in the forest, in a clearing. He finally released her hand and turned to her. "Sakura, you don't have to be afraid. I already told you, I don't have any intention of harming you." "Yet." She corrected. He stared at her, confused for a moment, before smirking. "You're right. I did say that, didn't I?" He ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled lightly. Sakura almost smiled at the sound. His laugh was warm and rich, something that she was almost dumbfounded of, since he was an Uchiha. "Well, you have my word Sakura. I won't harm you. I only want to talk to you." He said, meeting her eyes with his. There was silence between them, as they stared into each others eyes, and both felt as if the other was trying to look into the other's soul. Sakura finally broke the silence. "Sasuke," She started. "Why do you want to talk to me? Why me specifically?" Sasuke smiled a genuine smile then, and Sakura stared in wonder and awe, and almost thought she had imagined it, until she blinked and saw it was still there. "I told you… There's something about you. Something that interests me... I want to know what it is."

Sakura frowned, confused, but decided to let it go. "Don't get distracted." A voice said inwardly. She turned away from Sasuke. "Why should I trust you, or believe anything you say? This could easily be some kind of trap, or a trick. You're also my enemy. I shouldn't even be here talking to you right now. I should kill you where you stand. But I came for information. So you better start talking." She spoke, inserting as much venom into her words as she could. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and turned her so she was facing him, and glared at her. Sakura's eyes widened, and she tried to yank her hand away, but Sasuke held it tightly. "Let go of me Sasuke." She whispered vehemently. He lessened his grip, but refused to let go. He leaned in closely, and spoke into her ear. "You'll take care to remember that I could kill you before you even laid a finger on me Sakura. I didn't come here to give you any information, so if that's what you thought, you're mistaken. I would actually prefer if we didn't talk about that tonight."

Sakura growled, pulling her hand away roughly, and stepped back so there was some distance between them. "Fine. But don't expect any information from me in return." He smirked. "Agreed." Sakura glared at him, angry that her plan had been foiled, and he gave a snark laugh. "I'm starting to think the only thing you can do is glare at people." "Don't you dare underestimate me, Uchiha. I could easily kill you with my bare hands. And if you ever grab me like that again, I promise you, you won't live to see another day." Sasuke scoffed at that. This angered her even more. "Look, if all you brought me here for was to waste my time, I'm leaving." "I didn't come to waste your time. I've already told you… All I want is to talk to you. Learn more about you." Sakura eyed him suspiciously, before saying, "Why do you want to know about me? What could you possibly have to gain by learning about me?" Sasuke sighed. "I don't have to explain myself to you Sakura. Besides, I already told you; I don't know why." After that, they were both quiet. Sasuke sat in the grass, and looked at her expectantly. After a few minutes, though she was agitated, Sakura sat as well, across from him.

"Sakura?" He asked after a few minutes. "Yes?" "I want you to tell me about yourself." Sakura stared at him in disbelief. "Geez, you sure are Bipolar… You're giving me whiplash." She murmured. He laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I apologize…" Sakura sighed. "I don't know… There's not much to tell really. I never really knew my parents… They gave me up when I was very young. Tsunade took me in, and… I've been with her ever since. She took in a lot of kids… We're all like family." She said, smiling fondly at the thought of all her friends. 

Sasuke watched her intently, and smiled faintly. "What about you?" Sakura asked, trying to hide the tone of distaste. He knew what she was really asking though: What could have possibly happened to you to turn you into this? "Konoha Resistance murdered my parents. They slaughtered my entire clan, except for my uncle, my brother, and me. I was only seven years old." He whispered bitterly. Sakura's eyes widened, and then turned sad. She felt terrible for him. Slowly, she touched his hand gently. He looked up at her surprised, and she stared at him sadly. There was a silent understanding between them in that moment, as they gazed at each other. They had both been hurt by the war, both of their lives altered when they were only children. They had been destined to be enemies. The Uchiha were to blame in the end, she knew, and she knew Sasuke would never see that, but she still couldn't help but empathize with him. Sakura removed her hand embarrassedly, but Sasuke grabbed it and held it.

"Sasuke?..." Sakura whispered. He only stared at her hand. "Sakura… We don't have much time left… I need to leave soon… but, I don't…" Sasuke struggled for the words he wanted to say. Sakura looked at him expectantly, trying to figure out what was going on. Sasuke was conflicted with himself, and he felt extremely agitated inside. He wanted to tell her how she made him feel, wondered if she felt the same, but she was his enemy! How could he tell her those things? How could he even FEEL anything but hatred towards her? Let alone expect her to feel the same? He shook his head. "What is it Sasuke?" she asked quietly. "I was going to say I don't think we should see each other again, but… I can't say that, because… I do want to see you again." Sasuke said, feeling completely frustrated now. Sakura could only stare at him, confused. "W-What?" She managed to stammer out.

"Sakura… You are my enemy. For this reason, I don't think we should see each other again. But I can't deny myself… I want to see you again. I don't want to force you though." He said finally. Sakura pulled her hand away and scowled at him. "Listen, you… If this is some kind of a trick… If you think you can take advantage of me just because I'm a girl, you're dead wrong. I may be a girl, but I won't be toyed with so easily. I'm a lot smarter then you think I am, and quite frankly, I'm disappointed by your amateur routine." She scoffed. Sasuke then grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him, so close that they were only mere inches apart. Sakura's heart was pounding hard against her rib cage as she stared into Sasuke's intense onyx eyes. "This isn't a game Sakura, and I know, deep down inside… You feel the same thing I feel." He whispered.

Sakura tried not to blush, but her cheeks still flushed a light pink. She was extremely shocked by Sasuke's bluntness. "I think he's actually telling the truth…" She thought in wonder. She was also frightened, because he was sincere. What scared her most though was that she did feel something for him… and he had just admitted that he felt something too. She lowered her head, trying not to look at him. "S-Sasuke… I don't understand." "I don't understand either. All I know, is that ever since I saw you… I can't get you out of my head. I'm feeling things I've never felt before, for you… my enemy. Someone I should want to kill! But, I don't… I can't. It's… annoying." He said with a smirk at the end. Sakura could only stare in shock. After a few moments she laughed and lowered her head. "You think I'm annoying?" She asked quietly. "Incredibly." Then, Sasuke leaned in slowly, and pressed his lips against the unsuspecting pinkette's.

It was light, brief, and yet extraordinary to Sakura, feeling his lips against hers. He pulled back slightly and they both stared at each other for a long time. "Yes. I'll meet you again." Sakura whispered suddenly. Sasuke smiled at her, extremely relieved, and happy. "When?" He asked, standing up. "Two days from now. I will meet you again in the courtyard of the Tavern." She whispered rapidly and excitedly, as he helped her up. "Two days from now." He echoed in agreement. Sakura lightly touched his cheek lightly, and he held it there. Then, they both parted into the night, each wondering what exactly they had just gotten themselves into.

Itachi's POV

"Come in." Sasuke called. I smirked and let myself in, before shutting the door. "What is it?" He asked, turning to face me. "Where were you today? You left very early." I asked nonchalantly. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why do I have to explain myself to you? I'm not a child, brother." I smirked. "But, you are my little brother. I worry about you when I don't see you around." He rolled his eyes, and I chuckled. "I was on a mission, ok?" I raised an eyebrow curiously. "A mission?" He nodded. "Madara sent me out to gather Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo." I clenched my fist. "Juugo? And you went alone?" "No. I had Suigetsu." I sighed exasperatedly. "You should have asked me to come, Sasuke." He glowered at me. "It was my mission. Besides, I handled it obviously, since I'm still standing." "You could have been killed." I countered. "But I wasn't." He growled.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I don't doubt your skill. I just worry about you… And I wouldn't be a good big brother if I didn't worry for your safety." He smiled faintly. "I know brother… Thank you." I smiled as well. "He really is getting stronger, if he took down Juugo…" I thought proudly. "Well… Goodnight then, Sasuke-kun." I said, before turning and leaving. "Goodnight." He called. However, I was already making my way to Madara's cabin. As soon as I was there, I burst the door open and slammed it shut behind me. "You must have a death wish." I growled lowly. He had his back to me in his chair, but I knew he was smirking. "I don't know what you're…" "Don't lie to me." I spat. Slowly, he turned to face me. "I told you Itachi. Sasuke is a great part of this plan, whether you like it or not." "And I told you I would kill you." He chuckled villainously. "You're lying. You wouldn't kill me. Just like I know you wouldn't tell Sasuke about what happened that night ten years ago. I know you better than you think I do." He said sinisterly.

I activated my Sharingan and unsheathed my katana. "You know nothing about me, Madara." I said lowly. He cackled maniacally. "You wish to kill me? Try it. You and I both know you won't succeed." I rushed at him and pointed my sword at his bare throat, apparently catching him off guard. "Wrong, uncle. I think you and I both know I would succeed." He stared at me, waiting for me to finish him, and I began to question if I would. When I didn't, he began to speak. "Itachi, don't be a fool. Your pacifism won't pass on to Sasuke… You and I both know that. His hatred is deeply rooted… Surely you must see that. He's not like you. He wants revenge. Revenge for your parents, and for the clan. His goal is to destroy, to kill. He is an avenger, and no matter what you do… You can't save him from his fate." I lowered my eyes, and removed the sword from his throat. "Wrong again, uncle. Sasuke is a fresh canvas, easily painted any color. His fate has yet to be decided. He's young. He does not know of true war… He only sees what I wish him to see. And I can easily change what he sees." "You would dishonor your parents in such a way?" He challenged. Furiously I grabbed him by the throat. "You dishonor our clan by living, and by what you've done. Anything I say against my parents would surely be less dishonorable than that." I growled.

He glared at me, pried my hand away from his throat, and leaned in closely. "You are an ignorant fool, Itachi. You have many admirable qualities that would easily make you a fine leader for Konoha… But your ignorance is your one hindrance. You can't save everybody. Your pacifism is a weakness. THAT is why you won't be able to stop me. If you truly wanted to save your brother, you would have already killed me." He whispered. I could tell he was smirking triumphantly without having to look at him. I turned away from him and walked towards the door. "It is you, who are the ignorant fool Madara. You kill thoughtlessly, and you're power hungry. Your greed and stupidity is your weakness. That is why I will be able to save Sasuke. I won't kill you, because that is what you want. And I don't play such petty games with people like you." Then I opened the door and shut it behind me. If Madara thought he could get away with this, he would soon learn how wrong he was.

A/N: Ok guys, I hope you liked it! This chapter was BY FAR one of the hardest to write, due to writer's block, and all the things I said in my first A/N, but it's also the longest! I changed up a few things, but I think it all turned out for the best! Please, please, PLEASE review and tell me what you thought! Did you like that it was longer? Was it better? I NEED YOU TO TELL ME! :?) Ok, next chapter: Team Hawk is assigned their first mission, but is Sasuke prepared for it? Also our two favorite brothers have a talk, but what exactly will they talk about? And what exactly does Itachi have up his sleeve? Plus, Shikamaru confronts Sakura about her secret rendezvous with Sasuke… But what exactly will Sakura tell him? Plus, Konoha Resistance is brought into the village to deal with a mysterious group that is attacking innocent civilians, but just who the heck are these people? And who is their mysterious, hooded leader? WELL, tune into the next chapter to find out! I will release the next chapter hopefully next Friday, but if that doesn't happen, than look out for it definitely on August 22'nd. (I'm leaving next Saturday to go to California, and will therefore have no computer and/or internet access : \) SO, I shall do my best to have it out by next Friday! : )  
'Till next time guys! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	10. The Hawk Strikes

A/N: Hey guys! I'm SOOOO Sorry about posting this chapter late! I had the school musical… Footloose! And All-State! URGH! AND I'm a senior! I'm a busy, busy bee! BUT I've also been working on the other future chapters, so I should not be late on future chapters! So without further chit-chat, chapter 10! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 10: The Hawk Strikes

Neutral POV

"Welcome, Team Hawk." Madara greeted the four teenagers sitting around the table. None of them said anything, except for Sasuke, who gave a dull "Hn." at his uncle. "I have called you all here today to give you your first mission." He stated matter-of- factly, as if they didn't know that already. "Sasuke, you are the head of this team. It will be your job to make sure this mission is successful. Am I understood?" The young, brooding Uchiha rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He replied. "Sasuke. Am I understood?" Madara said, his voice turning stern. Sasuke again rolled his eyes. "Yes." "Good. Your first mission, Team Hawk, will be to attack the town square. Kill a few civilians if you must. You need to get a reaction from Konoha Resistance. If Tsunade did indeed receive my little note… she will be suspicious, and send forces, only to find you." The masked man said, letting out a darkly delighted chuckle. All but one member of Team Hawked perked up at the details of the mission. Sasuke's face was stoic, emotionless, but on the inside, he was distraught. "If we kill civilians, Konoha Resistance is sure to step in… And that means Sakura will be there." He thought, despaired. He clenched his fist in frustration. Madara quickly noticed Sasuke's silence. "Sasuke-kun… Something the matter?" He asked curiously. Sasuke looked up boredly. "Nothing. Is that it?" Madara smirked from behind his mask. "Not quite. Once Konoha Resistance engages you, do not hold back… Show no mercy. That is an order. By the time you're finished with them, they need to believe there is another enemy they're dealing with, if we are to be successful in the coming days. We need them… Distracted." Said the masked man. Sasuke stood from his seat and left the room, and Suigetsu quickly followed him, with Karin and Juugo at his heels. Madara stared after the four teenagers bemusedly, before smirking. "Sasuke… You will surely make an interesting prospect in the coming war." He whispered to himself. And with a dark chuckle, the masked Uchiha too left the meeting room, and back to his quarters, with dark thoughts in his mind.

Sasuke's POV

"Hey, Sasuke-san, where are you going?" Suigetsu called, chasing me down the hallway as I left the meeting room. I was far too worried about Sakura to listen to or care about what he was saying. "Hey, Sasuke!" He yelled, grabbing me by the shoulder. I stopped. "What, Suigetsu." "What the heck is the matter with you Sasuke-san? You were acting really strange back there." "Strange?" I asked. He shrugged feebly. "You know… Not yourself." He scratched the back of his head. I sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine." He scoffed. "Come on man, you really expect me to buy that?" He asked with a toothy smirk. I glared stoically at him. He put his hands up defensively. "I'm just saying Sasuke-san… You know me better than that, and you know I know you better than that." I sighed and tried to make up an excuse. "I'm just thinking out strategy. I have to make sure this mission is successful. If it's not, Madara will give me one of his stupid lectures." I lied smoothly, even throwing in a smirk at the end. Suigetsu eyed me somewhat suspiciously, and then laughed. "Don't worry Sasuke; this team isn't TOTALLY helpless… Well, except for Karin." He snickered, just as she approached us. She glared at him. "SHUT UP SUIGETSU, YOU BAKA! STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF SASUKE-KUN!" She roared furiously. He scoffed, blowing her off. "I think you do a pretty good job of that by yourself…" He whispered under his breath. "WHAT'D YOU SAY?" She yelled, raising a fist angrily. He snickered, not exactly taking her seriously.

Juugo sighed, watching them both, and I did the same. "You two shouldn't fight so much…" He murmured. "I wouldn't fight with him if he wasn't so stupid!" Karin muttered bitterly. Suigetsu just grinned a sharp-toothed grin. "I just speak the truth." "Enough." I said finally. They both continued to glare at each other, but said nothing more. "So what is the plan, Sasuke-san?" Suigetsu asked, getting back to the mission. I thought for a few minutes, before finally coming up with something. "Alright. We'll meet in the Town Square promptly this afternoon. Suigetsu, you and I will begin the main assault. You heard Madara… Kill a few civilians. Juugo, you will attack those who interfere, and fight back. No mercy. And Karin… You will alert us of any enemy chakra you detect in the area… And look out for Konoha Resistance." "And if they come?" She asked. "Hmph. Then, we attack... Simple as that." Suigetsu snickered in delight. "This is gonna be fun!" He said to himself. Karin rolled her eyes, and Juugo simply shuffled his feet from side to side. "If you excuse me…" I said, before turning and heading towards my room.

As I left them behind, Suigetsu and Karin resumed their bickering, while Juugo tried to break them up. Honestly, I was glad to be rid of them, so I could think in peace. I clenched my fists angrily. "Damn you Madara…" I growled inwardly. He was getting in the way of my own plans, and to my dismay, I discovered, going to foil them. I slammed my fist into the wall next to me. This all was a disaster. I sighed and tried to calm myself. "Maybe all is not lost…" I thought to myself, as I tried to devise a way to succeed in the mission while protecting my own agenda. However my thoughts were to be interrupted again, this time by another voice. "Sasuke-kun." Itachi called. I growled at the disturbance and turned to face him. "What's the matter? Something troubling you?" He asked as he approached. I sighed and looked away, shaking my head. He chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. Would you like to talk about it?" He put a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to soothe me. "I can't talk right now… I have to prepare for a mission…" "Ah, a mission. That's what's got you all riled up, is it?" He asked in his knowing way.

Ruefully, I nodded. "Come Sasuke, what's bothering you?" He asked as we walked down the hallway. I sighed. "Madara expects me to be a leader to this team… He always expects perfection, which I deliver. And I still get an earful. I'm tired of him." I admitted, not telling the complete truth. I really was tired of Madara's lectures even when I completed a mission successfully, but it didn't bother me as much as the mission. Which, I couldn't tell him, or anyone, for that matter. He nodded. "I understand Sasuke. His lectures do grow tiresome… But, he only wants you to succeed. However, perhaps he is asking too much of you. I'm still not happy he sent you alone to retrieve Juugo, nor the fact that Juugo is on your team. He's quite the handful I hear. Incredibly deadly as well." I smirked. "You worry about me too much, Nii-san." He smiled down at me. "What kind of brother would I be if I didn't?" He asked, flicking me in the forehead. I rolled my eyes.

"Sasuke, maybe after this mission you should take a break. You're working too much, and I think it's beginning to wear on your nerves." I smirked again. "How did you guess?" He laughed. "It's decided then. We will go to the summer house." I nodded. "Thanks… Itachi." I said, smiling faintly. "No trouble." He said, patting my head. We then headed off in different directions, me going to my room, and he going back down the hallway we had just traversed.

As soon as I closed the door, I allowed my thoughts to drift away from the mission. I was glad I would soon be able to spend some time with Itachi without having to worry about any missions, or my new team. It had been awhile since we had simply spent time together as just brothers. I smiled. Though it was difficult for me to say aloud, for I've always had a hard time expressing my emotions, I did love Itachi. However, as I pondered, I wondered if I didn't show it enough. I frowned slightly at that. "Ridiculous," I thought. Itachi knows that I care, wither I choose to openly show it, or not. Because we're brothers, and brothers simply know. I nodded, happy with that answer, and went and lie down on the bed. I soon found my thoughts drifting to Sakura and the night before; how we had kissed, how her lips felt like soft, fresh petals, how her skin was warm to the touch, how her skin flushed when we kissed, how her hand felt against my cheek. I felt dazed, intoxicated by her. Even the aroma of her hair, her skin... "Tomorrow can't come soon enough…" I said aloud to no one. My thoughts came to an abrupt halt then and reeled back to the mission.

"How am I going to avoid Sakura? She's sure to come when we attack… If she discovers that I'm the one doing this… Everything will be ruined." I thought worriedly. Then, my eyes fell upon a long, black cloak draped over a nearby chair. I stood and grabbed it from the chair, examining it, before pulling it on. It had a hood, which I quickly drew over my head. Then I examined myself in the mirror. The hood was almost like a dark veil that covered my face completely, but somehow still allowed me to see through it, and stopping just above my mouth. I smirked. This was perfect. THIS was what I needed in order to succeed in the mission, without jeopardizing my own plans. "Sakura will never know." I said to myself. Content with my new, clever disguise, I took the cloak off and re-placed it on the chair. Then I returned to my bed and lie down, beginning once again to construct my plan.

Sakura's POV

It was early afternoon when I awoke. There was an insistent rapping on my door that drew me from my more than pleasant dreams. I yawned. "Come in…" I said drowsily. The door opened to reveal Shikamaru. I immediately unconsciously slapped myself for being so stupid to not ask who was there first. "What am I going to tell him?" I thought worriedly, as I regarded last night with deep thought. Last night had been wonderful, almost dream-like… Only, it had been real. Sasuke Uchiha had admitted his feelings for me, had kissed me; and he was the enemy. On top of all this, I had admitted my own feelings, whatever they were, for I still tried to figure them out, and agreed to meet him again tomorrow. Shikamaru must have sensed I was in deep thought, because he cleared his throat before speaking. "Sakura-chan…" He said. I snapped my head up. "Yes, Shikamaru-kun?" There was an awkward pause of silence. He sighed. "What happened last night?" He asked, a tone of agitation about being out of the loop in his voice. I blinked a few times.

"Oh." I murmured, scratching my head. "Think Sakura, think!" My mind screamed. He tapped his foot expectantly. I sighed. "I… I didn't get anything from him… He was cleverer than I thought… He said I would have to meet him again to get anything." I said quickly, pretending to scowl. He sighed. "I knew it wouldn't work…" "Hey! It did work… Just not as well as I thought it would." He seemed to perk up at this. "Well?" I inwardly smacked my palm into my forehead. "Idiot!" I scolded myself. "Well… He… He's very easy to manipulate. I pretended that I was interested in him, and he was easily fooled. I'm sure if I go again, I'll be able to get something more!" I said. He groaned. "Sakura-chan, that's just not good enough. Besides, what if something had happened to you? I would have lost my neck! I can't risk something happening to you just so you can go play heroine." I shot a glare at him. "Shikamaru, please. Just let me do this. I know I can be of help! Don't take this chance away from me, I am begging you!" I pleaded. He stared at me and then looked away, and then back. "It's too dangerous Sakura…" "It isn't. He kept to his word. We were completely alone." He sighed, getting agitated. "Sakura, he alone makes this too dangerous. He's an Uchiha! He possesses the Sharingan, and an immense arsenal of Jutsu." "But nothing happened! Shikamaru, please! I know you're worried, but I can handle myself! I don't need protection!"

Again, it was quiet. He began to pace, tapping his fingers together, an unusual habit he had picked up when we were kids. Finally he stopped and stared at me. "Fine... But if anything happens… you send a signal from Hokage's Rock. That's the only way I'll agree to this." I nodded. "Alright then…" He turned away from me and headed to the door. "Sakura-chan?" "Yes Shikamaru-kun?" "I meant what I said last night. Be careful… Or I will not hear the end of it." He turned and smiled briefly. I laughed and nodded, and with that, he left and closed the door behind him. I smiled and lay back down, closing my eyes and replaying last night's events in my head for the millionth time. I pictured Sasuke's smiling face; his beautiful, genuine smile. I saw his serious, passionate onyx eyes that were so captivating, and the way his hair framed his face perfectly. I smiled. I was snapped out of my thoughts once again by a loud booming voice. "EVERYONE ON DECK, IMMEDIATELY!" I immediately jumped out of bed, knowing the voice: Lady Tsunade. More importantly, I knew that tone of voice: Something was wrong.

Neutral POV

Captain Tsunade was pacing anxiously along the wooden planks of the deck, Shizune by her side. One by one, the crew assembled, anxious and worried. She scanned them over, noting each one: Neji, TenTen, Lee, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Sai, Naruto, Sakura, and the two former Anbu, now Jonin she had, Kakashi and Yamato. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Lady Tsunade, what's the matter? What's happened?" Sakura asked worriedly, not liking the look on her master's face. Tsunade stopped and sighed once again. "Konoha is under attack." They all inhaled sharply. Though she didn't catch it, Shikamaru flicked his eyes over to Sakura, scrutinizing her, before shaking his head. "Uchiha?" He asked. "I suspect so, but…I don't know. These perpetrators don't match the description of the Akatsuki, and none of them have the Sharingan, according to the report." She said, brandishing a letter from her coat pocket. Shikamaru took it and examined it. His head snapped up from the letter as soon as he was finished. "We'll be going then?" She nodded. "Defend the village. Gather as much information as you can, and, if possible… get rid of them. Then report back to me."

They all nodded in synchronization. "Kakashi, Yamato. Look after them." "Hai." They said at once. She nodded and dismissed them. They all scattered and headed below deck to gather their supplies. "Lady Tsunade… Do you think it is them? The Uchiha, I mean… After that letter?" "I don't know what exactly to believe Shizune, but I don't trust Madara. I have no doubt in my mind that he's up to something. As for this…"So called" cease fire… I don't buy it for a second. If these shinobi attacking the village aren't Uchiha or Akatsuki…" She said unsurely, before turning in the direction of her cabin. She sighed. "No. There's no possibility. It has to be them." "What will we do if it isn't though, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked, barely above a whisper. "There's no way it won't be. Come on." She said going back to her cabin. Shizune bit her lower lip, coddled Ton-Ton briefly, and then ran to catch up with Tsunade.

Once everyone had gathered what they needed, they all returned to the deck. They all gathered into one single line except for Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Yamato, who stood facing them, examining them all. "Man, this is such a drag…" Shikamaru murmured, scratching the back of his neck. Kakashi smiled at him in a friendly manner. "Don't worry Shikamaru. Everything will be all right… You have us by your side, so, things won't be so bad." Shikamaru smiled sheepishly in reply. Once everyone had quieted down, Shikamaru cleared his throat. "All right, you all know why we're here." Again, Shikamaru glanced at Sakura, who returned it now, and they each looked away. "We're to find out who is attacking the village, and put a stop to it." "Enough with the bullshit, it has to be those bastard Uchiha!" Naruto yelled from the crowd angrily. Shikamaru looked thoughtful, but didn't answer. Kakashi answered instead. "We can't know for sure Naruto. You need to calm down." Naruto glowered at the floor. "All right. Ino, do you think your dad might be at Headquarters?" She bit her lip. "I'll check. I'm not sure, knowing my father…" she then began the jutsu.

"_Daddy?..."_

"_I'm here, Ino."_

She grinned happily and made a thumbs up at Shikamaru. "All right," He said, "Now you need to connect us."

"_Father, Shikamaru-kun needs to speak with you."_

"_Understood."_

…

"_Yamanaka-san."_

"_Shikamaru-kun."_

"_Yamanaka-san, what's going on over there? Tell me everything." _

_Inoichi sighed. _

"_A few hours ago, four shinobi, they can't be more than a little older than all of you, began attacking everyone in the village square. Men, women, and children. There were a few casualties. We sent a few shinobi to go and handle it, but they were killed as soon as they arrived, and the attacks have grown worse. We've now sent more shinobi, and they are currently engaged in battle with the enemy. We're suffering more casualties than we can afford though, and we can't even seem to land a scratch on them! From what we have been able to gather on them though, they're incredibly powerful, and they have a tracker ninja. We need you all as soon as you can get here."_

"_I understand, Yamanaka-san. Thank you… We'll be in contact again soon." _

…

"I just talked to Ino's father. It's bad. These shinobi are incredibly powerful… We've suffered casualties… which we can't afford. We need to get over there."

"Hai!" They all said at once. Shikamaru glanced around once again, and noticed the fear in many of their eyes, and tried to wonder what they must be thinking… If someone they knew had died… A family member… A friend… Who this enemy was, and what they wanted… Fear of a foe they had yet to face. He understood…and he knew they were all looking to him to guide them. "Guess I can't really fool around anymore… what a drag." He groaned inwardly. In honesty, he too was fearful… Of the pressure. He was in charge of all of his friend's lives, and protecting those of the resistance, and the villagers… It bothered him in a way he didn't know how to describe. He closed his eyes and exhaled. "Let's go."

With those two words, everyone was in the boats, and rowing toward Konoha. Ino glanced at him and offered him a reassuring smile.

"_You can do this Shikamaru-kun."_

He smiled. Somehow, both metaphorically and literally, his girlfriend was always able to read his mind. She hadn't broken the connection, which was what he wanted. She grinned and batted her bubblegum blue eyes at him in an "I know, I know, don't thank me." fashion, which made him even more fond of her. No matter how irritating she could be at times, she always had a way of drawing him back with those pure blue eyes, and her simple smile. It drove him crazy honestly. He remembered the first time they met; they got in a fight, because she was going gaga over some new boy on the ship, which was driving him mad. He got so mad in fact, he kept throwing paper balls at the back of her then short, blonde pigtailed head. He paid for it of course, and that drove him even more insane… and then, she smiled for the first time at him. The same smile she was smiling now. And it was then that he knew he would be with her, no matter what.

"Sh-Shikamaru-kun…" Hinata stammered. Shikamaru snapped out of his thoughts. "What's the matter?" Hinata couldn't speak, her mouth only hung open in stunned silence. "The town square… four shinobi… and… many casualties…" It was Neji who answered for her. Shikamaru clenched his teeth. "Row faster! We need to get there, fast." They listened, and rowed even faster than before, and soon approached shore. Naruto jumped out of the boat and ran onto the beach, and into the village. "NARUTO!" Shikamaru yelled after him. He realized it was no use though, and that the blonde was long gone. "Come on, we need to catch up to him, before he does something stupid." He said. So they tied off the boats and ran as fast as they could, first down the beach, and then down cobblestone roads. "How much further Hinata?" "Not much… a few more blocks… LOOK OUT!" She screamed, back flipping towards the members of the group. There was a large crash and thud, as if a meteor had just struck the earth. Dust swirled around them and danced in their eyes, and upon settling it revealed… a monster.

"W-What is that thing?" Ino cried. The monstrous thing unfolded its blood-soaked claw like arms from around itself and glared at them with the intent to kill. Blood dribbled from its fangs, and had eyes of black and pupils of gold. Its hair resembled flames. It was almost human, save for its extreme monstrous qualities. For a moment, it simply glared at them, and no one moved. "Get ready…" Shikamaru murmured to them all. Their bodies tensed. "Konoha Resistance?..." The thing growled lowly. The voice was on the verge of demonic. Hinata was paralyzed with fear, until Neji touched her shoulder gently. They looked at each other and instantly her fear ebbed. He would be by her side to help her, if she needed it. She nodded and smiled faintly, before turning her attention back to the enemy. "Yes." Shikamaru answered. There was another pause of silence, and instantly, the aura around the creature shifted; turned darker somehow, more evil than it looked. Shikamaru's fingertips twitched at his pockets.

Then, the creature rushed them in the blink of an eye. "MOVE!" Shikamaru yelled. They all did as he said, and Shikamaru did hand-signs faster than he'd ever done them before. "Ninja Art: Shadow Sewing Technique!" Shadows sprung from the ground and walls and attacked and swirled around the monstrous creature, and pinned him down to the ground. Shikamaru held him there, though he knew it wouldn't last long. "Neji, do you think you're team can handle this creep?" Lee and TenTen stared fearfully at the creature, yet nodded. "We'll do our best." Neji answered. "Kakashi, take the others, get them to the village square…I'm counting on you. Ino and Sakura, heal as many villagers and Resistance members as you can. I'll catch up with you as soon as I help deal with this creep." "Understood," Kakashi replied quickly. "Move out everyone!" They all did as they were told, but Ino lingered behind, before continuing on with the group.

The monster cackled maniacally. "YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY SO EASILY? I WILL KILL YOU!" it roared. Shikamaru paid no attention to it… "Neji… what's the deal with this guy? I can barely hold him…" "His chakra levels are through the roof… He's insanely powerful… Almost as powerful as Naruto…" He winced. This wasn't good. "Neji, do something! I can't keep him held like this for much longer, he's too strong!" He nodded. "I am ready to fight. I look forward to the challenge of defeating this strange creature, so I may make Guy sensei proud." Lee proclaimed exuberantly. TenTen looked at him incredulously. "You're insane!" she yelled, annoyed by his overwhelming ambition at such a bad time. Neji growled. "Enough! Shikamaru… When I count to three, release him. Lee, you attack him directly…I'll back you up. TenTen, stay close, and make sure your arsenal is ready." They all nodded. "One… Two… Three!" Shikamaru released the jutsu, and the creature charged.

Kakashi heard the crashing and the monstrous roaring behind him, and scowled. Whatever they were dealing with was far more advanced than he expected. He hoped Shikamaru, Neji, and the others would be alright. "Stay focused everyone. They'll be alright." He said reassuringly, as he led the group to the town square. Sakura smiled, wondering how he always knew what to say at the right moments. "Kakashi-Senpai…" Yamato started. "I know…They're watching." He said, speaking of the tracker ninja whose chakra signature he could feel focusing quite particularly on his. He wondered why they were paying more attention to him, instead of Naruto, or perhaps even Yamato or Hinata.

As he thought of Naruto, his thoughts went to the Kyuubi. "Yamato… Is Naruto alright?" He nodded. "His chakra levels are normal and steady." Kakashi was satisfied. He just couldn't help but worry about Naruto… when he became extremely enraged, the Kyuubi's chakra could leak through, and if Naruto lost control… The Kyuubi's chakra would start forming a cloak around him, and develop tails… And as each tail grew, so did the state of Naruto's transformation. Once during training, he and Jiraiya had pushed Naruto to four tails. The results of that training had nearly killed Jiraiya. Not that Kakashi had gotten away unscathed… He was in the hospital for a few weeks too. He brushed his thoughts to the side, as he noticed they were coming upon the Town Square. He stopped everyone.

"Alright everyone. I want you all to be extremely cautious. This isn't a game… You all saw that thing back there; who knows how strong these opponents may be. But don't be afraid. Give it everything you've got! And always know… I won't let you get hurt. I will protect you all, because you are my comrades and teammates, and I will gladly lay down my life for all of you." He said, smiling a friendly smile. Everyone smiled and nodded, their hearts reassured and refilled with courage, and admiration. "All right then… Let's go!" He then pulled up his headband, activated his Sharingan, and led them into the town square.

Blood covered the cobblestone roads, and the walls of homes and buildings. There were hundreds of bodies everywhere, and the air was so thick with the stench of death, it was hardly bearable. Sakura and Ino ran off in different directions and began healing as many people as they could. Hinata looked at her hands, and tried to resist the urge to cry. She couldn't understand how anyone could do this. Her heart was sick with sadness, and fear. She was afraid for her family. She prayed desperately that her father and sister were safe, as well as her other family members. Her family being apart of the resistance, she knew they would be fighting, or strategizing. She could only hope that they were safe. "Hinata…" Kakashi called softly.

She snapped out of her thoughts. "H-Hai, Kakashi-Sensei…" She suddenly became resolute and activated her Byakugan and began searching every corner, every alley, and every rooftop for their enemies. "I'm going to do everything I can here today. If I can find these enemies, I can help protect my family and my friends…" She thought firmly. She used her Byakugan to scan over the entire area, and finally, she caught a chakra signature. "Kakashi-Sensei… I found one. On a rooftop three blocks away… A tracker ninja." "So that's where she is… Hmph. Good work Hinata. Where are the other two?" Hinata didn't have time to answer him, because there was a large crash a few feet in front of them, directly in front of the fountain. "Huh. So there they are." Kakashi growled. The source of the crash was two figures cloaked in long, black cloaks. One carried an extremely large sword on his shoulder, while the other, a simple katana. Kakashi stepped forward. "Who are you?" He called to them. "We're nobody." The one with the large sword answered. Kakashi glared. "Why have you done this?" he asked. "We thought it'd be fun." The figure with the large sword answered again. "Who sent you?" Kakashi asked, growing annoyed. This time, the other figure answered. "No one has sent us. We simply mean to destroy this village, and Konoha Resistance. Cleanse the world of its filth…Then move on to the next." He said quite calmly.

The air became tense. They all glared at him, hate surging through their veins. Kiba growled. "You mean to tell me… You did all this… 'Cause you thought it was fun? To "Clean" the world? You sick bunch of bastards… I'll KILL YOU BOTH!" He charged, but Kakashi grabbed him and held him back. "Calm down Kiba… Don't let your emotions get the best of you." He whispered. Meanwhile, the boy with the large sword started cackling as if he'd heard the best joke ever. "That's rich... HE'LL kill US… Oh my, I'm shaking in my boots! BAHAHA!" Kiba growled and bared his teeth. "You really think you can kill us? That's seriously the best thing I've heard all day… Oh man, all this talk is really boring though. How about we play instead?" He asked, pulling back his hood to reveal his face. He had short white hair, purple eyes, and pointed, shark like teeth. Ino's heart nearly skipped a beat, but then reminded herself firmly that he was the enemy. Suigetsu caught her gaze and winked at her. Ino turned her head in disgust, though she was also secretly a tad bit happy.

"Suigetsu, stop playing around." Sasuke growled. "Aw Senpai, you're no fun…"Suigetsu said with a smirk. "Hinata, Kiba, Shino. I want you to lead this assault, alongside me. Yamato and Sai, go see if you can take care of that tracker ninja. Choji, go to headquarters…We need to let them know we've arrived. Tell them we'll handle the situation." "Hai!" They all answered at once. Suigetsu scoffed. "Look's like they're gonna play after all. This'll be fun." He said with a smirk. Sasuke paid no attention to him, but instead focused on Sakura, whose glare was fixated on him. He knew she couldn't see him, but seeing her stare so intensely at him made him uncomfortable. "Senpai?" "What?" "What do you want me to do about them?" Suigetsu asked, motioning to the members who were running off in different directions. "Ignore them." Sasuke said, unsheathing his katana. Suigetsu shrugged, and focused his attention on the four shinobi left standing in front of them.

"I'm gonna have fun ripping these bastards to shreds." Kiba mumbled with a smirk. "Kiba-kun, please, don't let your emotions get the best of you…" Hinata murmured, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. "Hinata's right." Shino said, staring intently at the two enemy shinobi. "These guys are serious. How do I know that? Because they have slain thousands, and their chakra is hardly depleted." He said as he held his finger out for a returning bug. "That's so clever Shino-kun!" Hinata beamed. Shino smiled, and summoned more of his bugs. Kiba shuddered. "No matter how many times I see you do that, it still grosses me out." Shino smirked. "Just like how I will never be able to get over your wet dog smell." "Hey, come on guys, let's not argue." Kakashi called over his shoulder. The three teens nodded, and prepared for battle. Hinata got into her stance, while Kiba unsheathed his katana. "Get ready… They're going to make the first move." Kakashi whispered.

"DIE!" Suigetsu screamed, charging at the three teens. He swung his beheader blade effortlessly, going every which way, causing them to go on the defensive. Sasuke charged at Kakashi, charging his own katana with chidori. Kakashi saw him coming though, and easily fended him off with a lightning charged blade of his own. Their blades clashed and clanged, the sound of crackling lightning buzzing in the air. Sasuke swung upwards, but Kakashi swung down effortlessly, sparks showering the ground. "You're pretty good, kid." Kakashi said, swinging at his side. Sasuke glided out of the way and swung below, aiming for Kakashi's leg. Kakashi leaped into the air and landed on the wall. "Hmph. You're not so bad either." Sasuke gazed at him coolly, and then his eyes widened in surprise. "He…Has the Sharingan?" He thought, taken aback.  
Kakashi took advantage of the enemy's distraction and leapt forward at him.

Meanwhile, Suigetsu continued his assault on Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. He swung swiftly and dodged with ease, which agitated Kiba. "God damn it! If this keeps up, we're gonna be turned into chopped liver." "Don't you mean…Dog kibble?" Shino called, smirking. "SHUT UP SHINO! I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas!" Kiba growled. "You're wrong. My plan has already been set into motion." Shino snapped his fingers, and several bugs flew out at Suigetsu at once. "Heh, too easy." Suigetsu scoffed. With a mighty swing, he killed the swarm. "Wow, that was genius." Kiba said sarcastically. "Just wait." Shino said, smirking. Suddenly, Suigetsu started screaming. Hinata used her Byakugan to examine what was happening, and realized Shino had put him in a genjutsu. "S-Shino, I thought you couldn't?" "I can't. My bugs can though. Those bugs emit a poisonous hallucinogen gas upon being killed. Therefore, once he cut them open, he was unknowingly sprayed with the gas." He said, smirking in Kiba's direction. "Oh, shut up." Kiba growled.

Sasuke, who was dealing with Kakashi, heard Suigetsu's screams. "Shit." He thought agitatedly. With brute force, Sasuke kneed Kakashi in the chest, and kicked him away from him. "Release!" Sasuke yelled, placing his hand on the back of Suigetsu's head. Suigetsu collapsed to the ground, panting. "Be careful. These shinobi aren't to be taken lightly." Sasuke then swiftly turned just in time to catch Kakashi's fist in his hand. "Wrong move." Sasuke murmured. He then twisted Kakashi's arm behind his back and shoved him to the cold hard cobblestone. "Suigetsu." Sasuke called. "Shit, this isn't good…" Kakashi thought to himself. Suigetsu turned, a wide, murderous smirk on his face. "No you don't." Hinata murmured, before doing some hand signs. "Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!" She formed chakra into her fists, and the chakra formed into the shape of a lion. She ran at Suigetsu and swung at him, but he turned just in time, and blocked with his blade. Hinata continued to swing, and suddenly, there was a loud crack.

Suigetsu's eyes widened. "That bitch just cracked my sword…" He growled angrily. Then he smirked. "Looks like this one's serious. All right then. I'll get serious too." Hinata prepared herself. "Hinata, don't mess with this guy!" "No Kiba. Let her do this." Shino said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But Shino," "No. Hinata is stronger than you think she is." Kiba sighed, and bit his lip worriedly. Hinata looked back at Shino and Kiba and nodded, thankful that they wouldn't stop her. She then turned back to Suigetsu. "Well come on then. Make your move." He taunted. Hinata stood silently. "All right then… guess I'll do it." Suigetsu then dissolved into a puddle. Hinata's eyes flew around the perimeter. "Where did he go?" she whispered to herself. She looked intently at the puddle. Suddenly, Suigetsu rose from a puddle of blood a few inches behind her. Hinata turned on her heel and swung at him, aiming for his chakra points. Suigetsu nimbly dodged each blow, and Hinata knew he was toying with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another form of him climb out of another puddle of blood. Clones! "Then where is the real one?..." She wondered to herself, as she gracefully dodged one of the clone's attacks.

More clones began crawling out of the many puddles of blood, and soon she was outnumbered. "What am I going to do?" She thought worriedly. "Hinata, be careful!" Kiba yelled. The many Suigetsu's circled in on her, as Hinata continued to search for the real one. Suddenly, they ran at her. "Protection of the Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" She yelled, as a large expanse of chakra began flowing around her. She struck each one down and defended herself, using chakra needles to block each clone's chakra points, which made them disappear. "There!" She had found the real one, a few inches behind her. "Take this!" She turned agilely on her foot and began striking him in his chakra points. Before he could take too much damage though, he dispelled the jutsu and again melted into a puddle, only to re-emerge behind her. He grabbed her by her long, navy blue strands and lifted her from the ground, before throwing her in the air, and kicking her in the back, sending her flying. "Hinata!" Kiba screamed.

Suddenly, there was a flash of yellow, and Naruto caught Hinata in his arms. "Hinata are you ok?" "N-Naruto! Yes, I'm fine… T-Thank you... For saving me." She said as their eyes met. Naruto smiled and nodded, gently setting her down, before turning to the two enemy shinobi and glared. "I won't let you touch Hinata." He growled. "Naruto!" Shino, Kiba, and Kakashi yelled simultaneously. Sasuke slackened his grip and kicked Kakashi away. Naruto glared at him. "How dare you… How DARE YOU! YOU BASTARDS! You murdered innocent people… Families! Women and Children! And you hurt my friends! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Sasuke smirked. "You think I care about your forgiveness? I couldn't care less. My only goal is to cleanse the world of the useless…and Konoha is useless. You're all pathetic. You can't even protect your village. Your Konoha Resistance has failed. None of you deserve to live." He said coldly. Naruto charged at him, Katana in hand. "You take that back, you no good bastard!" He swung at him ruthlessly, but Sasuke easily avoided.

Then, Sasuke, with his incredible speed, appeared behind Naruto and stabbed him with his Lightning enhanced blade. "NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata screamed. "Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, panicked. Kiba and Shino stared wide-eyed at what had just taken place. Hearing the screams, Sakura turned to see what happened. Her eyes widened. "N-Naruto… No…" She whispered. The hooded figure shoved the blade in deeper, before shoving Naruto off. "NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, as Naruto collapsed, clutching at the wound. Tears streamed down Hinata's face as she ran at the enemy. "Hinata, don't!" Sakura yelled. Hinata stopped and turned towards her, surprised. "You're hurt… and you're chakra's low. Let me." She said reassuringly, unsheathing her blade. Hinata tried to stop her tears, but couldn't, and collapsed.

"H-Hinata-chan… Why… Are you crying?" Naruto asked, weakly standing. Hinata looked up, wide-eyed. "N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata stammered, shocked. "Naruto, don't!" Sakura yelled, running towards him. "I'm not going to die… Until I become Hokage… So please don't cry Hinata-chan… You know I hate it when you're sad." Naruto said, smiling lightly at her. Hinata continued to stare, and finally wiped away her tears. Sasuke stared at Naruto, surprised he could move at all, let alone stand. "Hn. I won't make the same mistake twice. You will die here today." He said nonchalantly. Sakura caught Naruto just as he was about to fall again. "Naruto, don't fight him! Don't move! You're badly injured…" "Sakura-chan… I'll be fine." He said, trying to pull away. "No. I'm ordering you not to fight. You can't die on me, you understand? You're my best friend." She said, wiping away a stray tear. "You really scared me back there, you big jerk." Naruto grinned and chuckled. "You cry too easily, Sakura-chan…" He flinched from the pain of his wound. "Ino!" Sakura called. Ino came running and dragged Naruto away, so she could heal him. Sakura stood and pointed her blade at the hooded man. "You're battle is with me now." Sasuke's stomach clenched. "Oooo, what are you gonna do, Pinky? Kill him?" Suigetsu cackled. Sakura glared at the white haired, shark toothed man. "Yes. That's exactly what I intend to do."

Again, Suigetsu roared with laughter. "I can't wait to see this." He said with a maniacal grin. He clenched his stomach in pain, as he realized that the Hyuuga heiress actually had managed to hit a few decent blows. Just at that moment, Juugo arrived. "Suigetsu… Senpai… I think it's time we leave… I'm out of chakra… and their reinforcements will be arriving soon." "Did you kill ANY of them?" Suigetsu questioned in surprise. "No… They proved to be more of a challenge than I expected. The birds also told me Karin has been jeopardized." He said, almost as an after thought. Suigetsu snickered. "Of course she has… She's useless. All right. Senpai? Shall we go? I think we've had enough fun for one day…" Suigetsu said, putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke continued to stare at Sakura, taking her in. He smiled faintly. "Sakura… You really are remarkable." He thought, as he remembered how concerned she'd been for her teammate. She had never looked more beautiful to him, and he had to fight the urge to just grab her and kiss her.

"Senpai?" Suigetsu asked. Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts. "All right. Let's go." He said, "Until we meet again… Konoha Resistance." He said, bowing graciously, before turning and jumping onto the rooftops. Suigetsu and Juugo did the same, and Sakura watched as they disappeared into the distance. "Kakashi sensei…" "Let them go Sakura." Kakashi said, turning to where Ino was still healing Naruto's injuries.

Sakura bit her lip, before going over to Naruto's side. "Here, let me help Ino…" Sakura said, putting her hands on top of Ino's. Sakura used her chakra to help guide Ino's to the proper injured tissue, and strengthened its power. Ino smiled feebly at her. "Sorry…" she mouthed. Sakura shook her head. "Its fine, let me take over." Ino nodded and stopped the jutsu, allowing herself to relax. Her chakra was completely depleted from healing. She smiled, as she looked around at the villagers and Resistance members she and Sakura had been able to save. There were still many dead though, and she bitterly thought that maybe if she had half the chakra control that Sakura had, maybe they could have been able to save more. "Ino…" Sakura called. Ino turned and looked at her. "Don't blame yourself. You did your best." Sakura said, staring intensely at her. Ino sighed, and smiled ruefully. "I know… Thank you." Sakura nodded and continued the healing process.

Just at that moment, Shikamaru and Neji's team were approaching Kakashi. "What happened here?" Shikamaru asked. "I'll tell you later. Is everyone alright?" Shikamaru nodded. "Minor scrapes and bruises. Nothing we can't handle. How about on your side?" Kakashi motioned to Naruto. "Oh no… Is he gonna be ok?" Kakashi laughed. "I'm sure he will. He's in the very capable hands of Ms. Haruno… not to mention his own insane ability to heal quickly." Kakashi ran his fingers through his hair. "So they got away?" Shikamaru asked, noting Kakashi's own injuries. He nodded. "Damn it… Ours did to." "Yes, I know… He showed up a few minutes ago. I suspect that they're heading towards Yamato and Sai, to retrieve their Tracker." Shikamaru sighed. "Lady Tsunade won't be pleased…" "Don't worry about it. We at least know they aren't associated with Uchiha…that's what she really needed. However…" "However?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know… Something just seems… Off about this whole situation."

Shikamaru nodded. "I've been feeling the same way." Shikamaru then noticed Ino staring at him. He smiled as she ran into his arms. "I was so worried about you!" She whispered, holding onto him as if she hadn't seen him in years. He rolled his eyes, but smiled and held her closer. "I was worried too… I'm glad you're alright." He murmured into her hair. She smiled as she leaned up and kissed him. "You know," Kakashi said. "This reminds me a lot of Make Out Tactics, Chapter Seven, When Kairi and Jin are finally reunited after Jin's Journey and then they decide to go all the," "KAKASHI SENSEI, YOU PERVERT!" Ino screamed. "What? What? I'm just saying… Sheesh." He said with a chuckle.

Neji crossed over to his cousin who was kneeling next to Naruto. "Hinata-Sama, are you alright? Are you injured?" She looked up and shook her head. "I'm fine… Are you ok?" He nodded. She smiled lightly and returned her attention to Naruto. "Hinata-Sama… I'm sure Naruto-kun will be alright. Why don't we go find your father and sister? I'm sure they will be eager to know that you are safe." She smiled and nodded. She then ran her fingers through Naruto's hair one last time, before standing and leaving to go find her family.

After a few minutes, Naruto opened his eyes. "Hinata-chan?" "You just missed her. She left three minutes ago." Sakura said, continuing to heal the hole in his chest. "Is she alright?" He asked worriedly. Sakura smiled. "She's fine. She's very worried about you though." She said reassuringly. Naruto smiled lightly, and re-closed his eyes. Sakura shook her head. "What a fool… He's so oblivious!" She laughed to herself. Finally, after a few more minutes, she was able to seal the wound and stop the bleeding.

Kakashi crossed over to them. "Is he ok?" "He'll be fine. I suggest we take him back to the ship though. He needs to rest." Kakashi nodded and lifted him up on his back. Yamato and Sai appeared next to him. "What happened?" Kakashi asked. "They got away… Is he alright?" Yamato asked, motioning to the sleeping Naruto. Kakashi chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be alright once he's had some sleep." Yamato smiled and nodded. "All right everyone; let's head back to the ship." They all nodded and made their way back to the beach. Sakura stopped and looked around one last time, as villagers came out of their homes to gather their loved ones who had been able to be saved, or mourn the dead, and take their bodies away. "Kakashi Sensei… May we take some time to find our families? Or help the villagers?" She asked. Kakashi stared at her, and then the others. Each one had worry in their eyes. He sighed, and smiled. "All right, go. And be careful out there." He said, as he lowered Naruto into one of the boats. Yamato and Sai boarded the boat as well. Some members parted separate ways to go and be with families, while others, like Sakura, stayed and helped the villagers. Sakura made her way to the Hospital, to be of help there, and looked up at the now setting sun. She wondered what Sasuke was doing, and if he was thinking about her. Little did she know how close he actually had been today.

A/N: Well that's it guys! I sincerely hope you all liked this chapter; it's my longest one yet! (24 pages on Word, not including A/N's!) I also packed in a WHOLE lot of fluff, so I hope that kind of makes it up to you… That and all the action! But, just in case, I also threw in pervy Kakashi… So if that doesn't work, I don't know what will! Please review, because reviews make my heart feel super happy! All right, next time: Shikamaru and Kakashi meet with Lady Tsunade, only to be surprised by a special guest…Then, Hinata goes to visit Naruto, but is surprised to discover he's gone missing! Later on that night, our favorite couple is reunited… But somebody's eyes are watching, and Sasuke will have to risk his life to keep Sakura safe, and make sure she doesn't discover his plan. Will he succeed? Weeelll… You're just gonna have to wait to find out! Until next time readers! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


	11. The Dark Storm

A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated for a long time… -wears the cone of shame- Anyway… A proposal! I have noticed in many chapters I have used lyrics from songs either in chapters, A/Ns, or Titles… A prize for the one who can figure out what the lyrics are, what song they're from, and which chapter. (If you get all the chapters, I will be thoroughly impressed.) Anyway, without any further chit-chat, chapter 11!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Misashi Kishimoto does.

Chapter 11: The Dark Storm

Neutral POV

"How many deceased?" "Considerable numbers, Lady Tsunade." The captain's fist slammed into the desk. "We cannot afford this many casualties! Not when I can't be sure of what Madara's up to." Tsunade roared furiously. Kakashi and Shikamaru bowed their heads. "The mission wasn't a complete failure." Shikamaru noted aloud. "We gathered a lot of information on the enemies, as well as their skills." "Yes I know, I read the report… It's useful, but it doesn't help me right now." "I understand… I myself have doubts about Madara's proposal. However, we can't be sure if they are associated with him, or if they are indeed a new enemy. The one I battled was more demon than man… I've never seen him associated with Akatsuki or Uchiha." He stated, shuddering as he recalled his fight with the half beast, half man creature. "Yes, and while one of the shinobi I battled never removed his hood, the other one I had never seen before either." Kakashi added. Lady Tsunade sighed. "If this _is_ a new enemy… Why wait until now to attack Konoha?... And, I'm still extremely suspicious. It's too much of a coincidence that we get attacked by a new enemy just as Madara Uchiha calls for a Cease Fire." Shikamaru nodded. "That's how I feel too… However, until we have more evidence, we won't be able to tell."

Tsunade smirked. "So… You think they'll attack again?" "I know they will. Those shinobi were intent on destroying Konoha…There's no way they won't attack again." Tsunade smirked. "Then we will be ready. I'll send word to Sunagakure." Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door. "Enter." Tsunade called. However, when the door opened, all eyes widened. Kakashi and Shikamaru both pulled out their Katana's, while Tsunade stood from her desk abruptly. "Itachi Uchiha, what the hell do you think you're doing on my ship?" Itachi stepped forward slowly, closing the door behind him. "Don't take one more step!" Shikamaru yelled, pointing his sword at his neck. Suddenly Itachi dispersed, turning into black feathers. "No need to be rude." He said, appearing sitting in a nearby chair. "My uncle sent me. He was… worried."

Tsunade glared. "And why would he be worried? I would imagine he would be ecstatic." She said unenthusiastically. "Quite the opposite. My uncle wants a new peace in Konoha… That is why he called for the Cease Fire. However, after yesterday's attack, he figured you might be suspicious of us." He spoke smoothly and evenly, no pauses or heightening of pitch that Kakashi could find to detect if he was lying. However, Itachi had once been an Anbu, the youngest in fact, before the war that ended in the assassination of the Fourth Hokage and his wife and the massacre of the Uchiha clan. "He would have undergone the same intense emotional training as the rest of the Anbu." Kakashi thought to himself. "I am." Tsunade replied curtly. Itachi smirked. "And rightly so. I can understand how you feel, and I imagine I would feel the same, were I in your shoes. However, though you may not believe me, those shinobi were not Uchiha or Akatsuki. We sent shinobi of our own to check into the situation- and they met a similar fate."

"Cut the act, Uchiha. What do you want?" Shikamaru growled. Itachi smirked. "This boy is clever." He thought to himself. "All we ask for is your faith, and your agreement on the Cease-" "Not on your life." Tsunade growled, cutting him off. Itachi blinked nonchalantly, and then stood from the chair. "Very well then. I see how things are to be… Perhaps, in your old age, you've grown more paranoid, Tsunade." Tsunade glowered at him. "Age brings not paranoia, but wisdom and experience… and I have enough of both to not trust a despicable Uchiha." Itachi turned his back on the three shinobi and opened the door. "Rightly so." He thought to himself, as he shut the door behind him. "Perhaps there is hope yet." He thought with a smirk.

Hinata's POV

"You must master the flow of your own chakra, before executing your attack… Hinata-Sama? Are you listening?" I lifted my head. "Yes. Please, continue." I said, looking down at my attempted notes. Neji frowned and sat next to me. "Hinata-Sama, are you alright? You don't seem very focused today." "N-no, I'm perfectly fine... I'm alright, really." I tried to convince myself as I said the words, but found I couldn't. I sighed. "Hinata-Sama, is this about Naruto-kun?" I sighed. "Yes… I'm sorry. I'm just very worried about him." Neji smiled knowingly. "I'm sure he's healing up just fine." He patted my back. "Yes… I'm sure he is." But I still can't help but worry. Ever since the attack, it seems like every time I close my eyes, all I can see is Naruto, being stabbed over and over again… And it frightens me; It frightens me more than anything. "Neji…" "Go to him, Hinata-Sama. Perhaps your mind will be eased if you visit him." I smile fondly. "Yes. Thank you, Neji." I then stand and hurry out of the room.

On my way to Naruto's room, I begin to worry again. "Maybe he isn't doing well… Maybe I should have brought some of that healing cream Neji made." I shake my head. If I keep worrying like this, I think, my head will explode. Finally, I stop at his door. I knock softly. "N-Naruto-kun? May I come in?" There's no answer though. I open the door to check if he's sleeping only to find that the room is empty, save for the open porthole. My feet already begin walking to where I know he'll be- the bowsprit. I take the stairs to the deck two at a time, and before I know it, I can already see his lean figure sitting on the edge of the first Hokage's head. I feel my face reddening as I take him in- he's shirtless, save for the bandaging wrapped around his chest. I shake my head and try to forget the butterflies in my stomach.

I step onto the bowsprit. "N-Naruto-kun, what are you doing out here? Y-You should be resting… You're injured." I can practically hear him grinning. He turns and faces me. "Honestly, I'm fine Hinata-chan. All I need is some nice fresh air, and some company, if you'll join me." He pats the spot where I last sat next to him, so I sit. This time it's much easier because I have pants on. "You really like it out here, don't you Naruto-kun?" He nods, though I can tell from his eyes he's in another place. "I-I was really worried about you…" I say out loud, not knowing if he's listening to me. He must hear me because he smiles lightly. "I was worried too." I blink and stare at him. "About you, I mean." "Me? W-why would you be worried about me?" His smile dims, and he turns and stares at me with a stare so piercing, I can't help but blush. "I was worried you might have been hurt. I got so angry when that guy hurt you… And all I kept thinking about was what if he'd seriously hurt you? I know he didn't… But I just kept thinking about what if… What if I hadn't been there to help you?" I slowly lift my hand and let it graze his cheek, before lifting my eyes and smiling at him. "You don't have to worry about me. After all, I'm supposed to be the one that worries, right?" I ask with a light laugh, before dropping my hand. He grins. "Yeah... I guess so." He touches my hand and grazes his thumb over my forefinger, before looking back out at the ocean, and we just sit there like that- Both of us staring into the sea, unable to say anything else.

Sakura's POV

"Ino?" "Yeah Sakura-chan?" "Can I ask you something?" Ino stops filing her nails and sits up straight, looking me in the eye. "Shoot." I sigh. "Well… Just… I don't know…" "Is this about a boy?" She asks. I shake my head in disbelief. "How do you do that?" "Uh, mind reader… Duh." "You did not." She laughs hysterically. "No, I didn't. Practically though. I'm your best friend. I can just tell things." She says with a grin. "Well, it kind of is… Just… How did you know you liked Shikamaru? Or I guess… How did you know it wasn't just a crush? And when?" I ask dumbly. "Oooo, Sakura-chan? Do you like someone? Is it Naruto-kun? Are you finally moving him out of the friend-zone?" "WHAT? Ew! No! He's definitely just a friend. No, it's… Someone else." She blinks curiously. "Do I know them? I could probably guess, couldn't I?" I roll my eyes. "Trust me, you'll never guess. Anyways, just answer the question."

She giggles, and then sighs. "Well… I don't know exactly when. But I know what it felt like when it happened… When I figured it out. He took us out rowing, under the stars… It was really beautiful, no clouds, you could see everything perfectly out there on the water… And then I looked in his eyes, and it was like… Seeing EVERYTHING perfectly for the first time. I don't know how to explain it other than that. And then… We kissed." She giggles again. I can't help but smile too. "Who knew Shikamaru-kun was such a romantic?" I think to myself. Or Ino for that matter, I add. "That's so romantic." I tell her. "Isn't it? It was magical… And ever since then, I've just known. It's like we're meant to be, just like the stars are meant to be up in the sky looking down on all of us…" She sighs dreamily again. I roll my eyes and gag at her, and then we both fall into fits of giggles.

"So you like someone?" I bite my lip. "I don't know… I'm not exactly sure. All I know is… I don't know how to explain it… He's like a magnet, if that makes any sense… I'm just… drawn to him." "Mmmm, Sakura-chan. Did you go all the way?" "INO!" She cackles maniacally. "What? It's an honest question." "Uh, that definitely has not happened, and I doubt it will ever." "Ever?" I glare at her, and she throws her hands up in defense. "I kid, I kid. What else?" I sigh and think back to when we kissed. Even just thinking about it, I can feel my lips tingle slightly. "I don't know… I feel like I shouldn't like him because he's…" I stop myself searching for the right words. "He's _kind_ of a bad boy…" She laughs at this. "And you're so innocent?" I blink a few times and then stare at her. "What? I mean, look at us Sakura. We're vigilantes. We fight the Uchiha and kill people sometimes. Can there really be anyone worse than that?" I sigh. "Yeah. An _Uchiha_." I think to myself.

"I guess you're right." I say doubtfully. "Well, I KNOW I'm right. Come on Sakura, give this mystery guy a chance. What harm could come from it?" She asks, smiling radiantly. "_I could lose all of you_." I think. I shake my head. "You're right. You are right." She grins and hugs me tightly, and I hug back, mentally thanking her for her good advice.

Neutral POV

"Hey, Sasuke-san, where are you going tonight anyway?" Sasuke rolls his eyes, as he prepares the boat he's about to take to go to shore. "None of your business. Any of you for that matter." Karin whimpers. "B-But, Sasuke-kun…" "Yeah, you hear that Karin? NONE of our business. That includes you." Suigetsu says with a snicker. Karin glares furiously at him."SHUT UP SUIGETSU, YOU IDIOT! I wasn't asking him where he was going unlike you." "What _were_ you going to ask him then?" Juugo asks curiously, looking at her intensely. "Yeah Karin. What was the question?" Suigetsu and Juugo corner around her, looking at her expectantly. Sasuke again rolls his eyes, ignoring them. "I-I… I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOU GUYS." Karin then stomps off angrily. All of the boys let out a collective sigh of relief. "Suigetsu, why are you so mean to Karin?" Suigetsu grins a toothy grin. "I wouldn't be so mean to her if she wouldn't leave herself open for it. Anyways… If you won't tell us where you're going, what are you doing?" "Again: None of your business. Now, go back to your cabins. I'll be back later." "Sheesh, fine then. Bossy." Sasuke smirked. "That's why I'm the leader." He then gets in the boat, and lowers himself down into the water, before rowing to the shore. Suigetsu then smirks. "One of us should follow him and see what he's being so sneaky about." He says, looking at Juugo up and down. Juugo rolls his eyes. "Very well then. I suppose you're going to go pester Karin?" Suigetsu laughs. "What else do I do so well?" As Suigetsu walks away, Juugo gets into another boat and lowers himself into the water, rowing after Sasuke.

Sasuke meanwhile, had his thoughts somewhere else… or more, on someone else. "I can't ever let Sakura discover my secret… I have to be extremely careful of any questions she may ask." He thought to himself. Afterall, he wasn't stupid enough to think that she wouldn't ask questions, especially with yesterday's events. He was confident however, that he could steer her from suspicion. He then let his mind go back over those events. "Sakura… you truly care for your friends." Admirable he thought, but dangerous. Especially in this world of piracy and shinobi. "When one has too many feelings, they grow weak… Sakura… I wonder how strong you really are." He thought solemnly to himself. Finally he found himself at the shore of the beach. He allowed himself to smile. He was almost there.

Sakura perked up at the sound of footsteps. She looked up and smiled, seeing Sasuke at the foot of the door to the courtyard of the tavern. "You came." He said. She stood and smoothed out her skirt. It was just above her knees, and she wore a long sleeved shirt, that had some sort of bow in the front. "Why wouldn't I?" She asked curiously. He smirked. "Well after all, I am nothing but an Uchiha… Right?" She blinked before smirking. "Well that's true, you are. But… I gave my word, and I always keep my word." She said simply. Sasuke stared at her intently, thinking about her words. "An admirable quality, Miss Haruno. However, giving your trust too easily could be dangerous." "Dangerous?" Sasuke nodded. "Yes. After all… I'm still an Uchiha." Sasuke stared seriously at her. Sakura frowned slightly. "What are you saying?" "I'm asking if you can really trust me, knowing who I am and what I've done." A wave of silence washed over them. Sakura stared at him, not sure what to say, while Sasuke eagerly awaited her answer. Sakura looked down slightly, her hair falling into her eyes. "I can't." Sasuke barely inhaled. "I can't trust you…yet. But that's why I promised to meet you again. Because… I want to learn to trust you." She looked up, smiling faintly. Sasuke's eyes widened. He then smiled and lowered his head. "You want to learn to trust me…" She nodded. "Maybe," he thought, "You shouldn't want to." However, he only smiled.

He walked over to her and extended his hand. "Shall we go for another walk?" "Yes, I'd like that." Sakura said, taking her hand in his. They left the tavern and began their stroll through the village. "Sasuke, can I ask you a question?" "Sakura… I told you before, I don't want to talk about-" "Please Sasuke, I have to ask… I need to know, otherwise, I can't see you again… Do… Do you know who's responsible for yesterday's massacre?" Sasuke clenched his teeth. "No, I don't." "You really don't know?" She asked seriously. He nodded again. "Sasuke, look at me please." Sasuke froze in his tracks. "Please. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't know." Sasuke growled before slowly turning to her. He looked at her intensely. "Sakura, I don't know who did it, ok?" Sakura looked into his eyes, but couldn't find any trace of a lie. "Alright… I'm sorry…" He shook his head and sighed. "No. Don't apologize… I understand." He said quietly. Slowly they walked by the fountain. Only yesterday this fountain seemed to be spouting blood. Now it only spouted clean water. "If Sakura knew…" He thought, "If she knew all the blood I had on my hands…" He couldn't finish his thought, because he didn't want to think about it. Sakura too saw the phantom blood that had once been there, and began to feel the contempt she had felt yesterday. She wanted nothing more than to make those people pay for what they did. But somewhere else inside, she felt guilty- and weak. She wanted to do so much more for the village- she had wanted to save everybody, but she couldn't. And now, her one lead that she thought she had on discovering who they were had turned out to be a dead end.

She sighed and shook her thoughts away. "Let's sit here. Maybe we can look at the stars." She said as she sat at the base of the fountain. Sasuke sat next to her, looking up at the sky. It was cloudy, but he could still make out some of the stars. "Hn. Looks like it's going to rain…" He thought to himself. They looked into the night sky together in silence, each thinking their own separate thoughts. Then, Sakura spoke up. "Sasuke… Do you ever wonder if the stars are watching us?" He stared at her for a moment, before looking back at the sky. "Well… We watch them so… Why wouldn't they watch back?" She smiled and laughed quietly.

"What made you ask that question?" He asked curiously. She shook her head. "Just something my friend told me today…" "The blonde girl?" Sakura looked up in surprise. "How did you guess?" "Well, I can only imagine you must be close to her, considering your act of bravery the other night." He said with a devilish smirk. "Or could it be that you wanted to dance with me, and were jealous?" Sakura glared at him. "Ha! Hardly. I didn't want you to hurt her… and you blackmailed me into that dance." He chuckled that deep, warm laugh, and Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Well what can I say?" He whispered into her ear. "I do anything to get what I want." Sakura felt chills go down her spine before pushing him away, embarrassed. "Childish." She said, not looking at him. "I'm not childish… I'm monopolistic." "As if there's a difference." They both began to laugh. Suddenly though, Sasuke was on alert.

"What is _h_e doing here?" He thought to himself worriedly. He stood from his spot. "Come on, let's continue our walk." "Is something wrong?" She asked. He shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought you'd like to keep walking." She smiled at him, but he didn't respond, only thinking about the mysterious person watching them. Then, a flash of lightning lit the night sky. Nearby, Juugo glared at the pink haired girl. He recognized her from the fight before. "Konoha Resistance… Sasuke-san, what are you doing with her?" He clutched at his neck, feeling the power, and hatred surging through him. "No… I mustn't… I… I can't… Not Sasuke-san…" "_Do it!_" A voice roared within him. He shook his head, breathing hard. "I won't hurt Sasuke-san… He's helping me…" "_He's a traitor. He's with that Konoha Resistance bitch. You know you want to kill them… You can feel it can't you? You know you can't deny me… Or deny your vengeance." _Juugo collapsed, desperately clutching his chest. "No… No… NOOOOOOOOOO!" He roared.

Sasuke spun around, hearing the voice of Juugo. He could feel his companion's chakra surging wildly. "Oh no…" He thought, looking at Sakura worriedly. She only stared back at him, curious as to what was going on. "S-Sasuke… Is everything.." "MOVE!" He yelled, pushing her out of the way. She fell to the cobblestone road hard, as the ground shook violently, as if there had been an explosion. She looked up quickly, seeing Sasuke desperately trying to escape the grasp of a monster. "That monster… The one from yesterday…" She said, her eyes widening. "SASUKE!" She screamed. "Sakura, run! Get out of here now!" He screamed, trying to pry Juugo's claws from his body. He charged his body with electricity, forcing Juugo to retract his monstrous claws.

Sasuke breathed heavily, feeling the blood seeping through his shirt. "Sasuke, you're hurt!" "That doesn't matter right now! Get out of here, please! Just go!" "No. I won't let him hurt you!" Sasuke growled in pain. "You don't know what you're dealing with!" "Yes I do! This is the thing from yesterday… I saw him!" "Sakura, it doesn't matter, you can't fight him. Let me handle this!" "KONOHA RESISTANCE…. DIIIEEE!" Juugo screamed furiously, swinging his monstrous claw at her. She dodged nimbly, before swinging a roundhouse kick to his face. Juugo went flying, creating another crater in the road. "Sasuke, I already told you before… Don't underestimate me." Sasuke stared at her in awe. "I will fight with you. We'll take him down… together."

There was another flash of lightning as Juugo lunged up from the earth like a rocket. "I WILL DESTROY YOU!" He roared, launching himself at Sakura. Sasuke jumped in the way, blocking Juugo's massive claw with a lightning enhanced katana. Juugo swung his massive claw at Sasuke, which Sasuke countered with an upward swing. Angry, Juugo swung again and again, and each time Sasuke countered or blocked him, fueling the beast's anger. "DIIIEEE SASUKE!" "Juugo, stop this now!" Sasuke yelled, activating his Sharingan. "I WILL NEVER STOP. I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!" The demonic voice roared. Juugo charged again, and smacked Sasuke into a nearby brick building and hitting his head. Suddenly from above, Sakura yelled and slammed her fist into Juugo's head, sending him into the earth and forming a hole. As the smoke cleared, Sakura stood waiting for the beast's fury… but there was no noise. "Did I do it?" She wondered. She looked around, but didn't see him anywhere. "Where is he?..." "You. Die." The monstrous voice whispered in her ear. Her body went numb, before she was knocked into the ground a few feet away.

The rain began to pour as Juugo stalked slowly over to Sakura, cackling in blood-curdling delight at his triumph. He had finally taken down a member of the so called mighty Konoha Resistance. He had gotten a piece of his revenge for his brother! He looked down on the girl, hungry to spill her blood. "You… You'll never get away with this…" She whispered. He lifted her up by her neck, ready to tear her limb from limb. He smiled as she struggled for air, feeling her life being taken away… he felt… powerful. "Even if you kill me… There will always be others… Others who have inherited the Will to protect this village… You can never kill that." She growled, glaring him in the eye. "A will… to protect?" Juugo wondered. Why did it sound so familiar? Suddenly he heard voices; many voices. "Shut up… SHUT UP!" He roared, dropping Sakura to the ground. He grabbed his head and clenched it, unaware of the blood seeping down.

"_Juugo… No matter what, I will always protect you. Even when I die, that Will… it will never die_." Kimimaro? No… Kimimaro was dead! THEY killed him! "_I promise… I will always be here for you. You need only think of me, and I will be there_." He was a liar… A LIAR! "_Kimimaro-kun… Are you really serious about protecting this thing? Why… It's nothing but a monster. An animal_." "_You're wrong Orochimaru-Sama… Juugo is more than that to me_." "_What could a beast like that be to you? Don't be ridiculous. Let me kill him_." "_No Orochimaru-Sama! He's my brother, and no matter what, I will protect him from you_." Kimimaro… he was gone. "RAAAAGHHHHHH!" Juugo screamed, collapsing onto the ground. He shook his head, and began to weep for his dead brother.

Sakura stared in shock as the beast began to transform into a normal human being again. "W-What is he?..." She thought in horror. She watched as his body began to wrack with sobs. "Kimimaro-kun… WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?" He yelled in a choked voice. Sakura could only stare at him until her brain snapped back to Sasuke. She scanned the area for him until she saw his body lying eerily still against the nearby wall. Her eyes widened before shaking her head. "No… He isn't dead." She told herself over and over as she crawled over to him. "S-Sasuke?" She whispered to him. There was no response. The rain started to get heavier, and Sakura's tears began to mix with the rain. "Sasuke?... Please, answer me… You're scaring me…" She whispered. Still, there was no answer. Slowly, she lifted Sasuke into her lap and lay her head on his chest. He was still breathing! She thanked the stars above for watching over him, before lifting him up onto her back. Slowly she turned back to glance at the man once again, only to find that he wasn't there. She blinked and wondered where he had gone, before turning back around and starting down a road lined with houses. "I have to get out of this rain and treat Sasuke's wounds." She decided as she began to examine each house.

She suddenly approached a large looking estate, blocked off by a wrought iron gate. She opened the gate quickly and shut it behind her, before approaching the manor. She knocked on the door. "Hello? Can someone help us? Please, there's someone wounded!" She called. There was no answer. She turned the knob, only to discover it was unlocked. Slowly, she opened the door and walked inside, before shutting the door behind her. She looked around; everything looked like it hadn't been dusted in ages. In fact, it looked as if nothing had been disturbed for ages. "It must have been abandoned…" She thought to herself. She looked around and noticed a nearby room with a fireplace. She carried Sasuke in there and laid him on the floor, before looking for some firewood. After a few minutes, she had a warm fire blazing in the fireplace. She looked around- The room was lavishly decorated with rare fabrics and furs, two lush couches, and a fine wood table set with a beautiful tea set.

Above the fireplace there looked to be a portrait of a family: A mother and father, a little boy, and a baby. Sakura stood and crossed over to it, admiring it. "She's beautiful…" She murmured as she gazed at the mother. Her eyes roamed over each of them and she noticed something oddly familiar, but couldn't quite place what it was. She turned back to Sasuke, and kneeled by him. "Sasuke… Hang in there." She whispered as she gently touched his face. Then, cautiously, she removed his shirt. She stared in awe- he was very finely built, toned and muscular- which didn't surprise her- but she still couldn't help but blush. After all, she'd never imagined she would ever see him without a shirt on. Not that she hadn't seen a shirtless boy before- she'd seen the boys walking around shirtless numerous times on the ship- but this… this was different. She mentally smacked herself in the face then. "Baka, he's hurt! HELP HIM!" She shook her head and scolded herself, before placing her hands on his chest. She forced her chakra into her palms and began healing his wounds, guiding the chakra through his system, and repairing the damaged cells.

After a few hours, she was satisfied that the wounds were sealed and stopped. "Sasuke… You'll be just fine." She thought to herself, smiling lightly. Suddenly she doubled over in pain. "I was so worried about Sasuke I forgot about my own wounds…" She thought. She then began to heal her own wounds. Outside, the storm continued to rage on- Sakura frowned. "I don't think I'll be able to make it back to the ship in this storm… Especially in my condition." She then looked over at Sasuke. "I can't just leave him either…" She sighed. "Shikamaru-kun is going to be realllly angry…" She thought ruefully. She then began to laugh. "Oh well… it can't really be helped now anyway." She said, smiling contently. As soon as her own wounds were healed, she crawled up onto one of the nearby couches and closed her eyes, thinking over the battle. Then, suddenly, something struck her. She sat up and closed her eyes, remembering the battle: "_DIIIEEE SASUKE_!" "_Juugo, stop this now_!" They… knew each other!

A/N: Well, there you go! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know by leaving me a review, because reviews make my heart feel super happy! Ok, next time: Sasuke awakens and Sakura has many questions for him- how will he answer? Then, Konoha Resistance is in a panic! Where is Sakura? Will Shikamaru reveal her, or will he keep her secret? Then, Sasuke confronts Team Hawk… When Itachi overhears, how will he react? And what does Madara have in store for Team Hawk next? Tune in next time! ~xXxLoveisPoetryXxX


End file.
